Man who held woman captive sentenced to life in prison
TACOMA, Wash. - The Tacoma man accused of chaining up a woman inside his garage and raping her learned his fate Friday. A Pierce County Judge sentenced Henry Hauser to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Court documents detail 18 horrific days a woman spent inside a hilltop neighborhood garage as Hauser’s captive.
"She was homeless and he offered her a place to stay in his garage. She went with him and he later restrained her, bound her in chains and sexually assaulted her."
Judge Phillip Sorenson shared with the courtroom, Hauser’s past as a persistent offender influenced his sentencing decision. The 56-year-old was previously convicted off sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and forcing her to consume meth at knifepoint.
"Your behavior when not incarcerated is a danger to somebody," said Sorenson. "I don’t know who it will be but it will be somebody in the future."
Despite a jury convicting him of rape and failure to register as a sex offender, the defendant maintained he is not at fault.
"All I can say is you’re convicting an innocent man," said Hauser.