Seattle Firefighter Arrested, Charged With Rape Of A Child

SEATTLE, WA — Seattle police have arrested a 52-year-old Seattle firefighter who officers say raped a child he met online in 2019.

The Seattle Police Department's arrest comes as a direct result of a recent Washington State Patrol operation. Last week, WSP announced their "Operation Day Care" sting had arrested four men. All four are accused of sexual predation targeting children in Pierce County.

Three of the men were Pierce County residents. The fourth, identified by police as 52-year-old Andrew Sapier, lived in Seattle and worked as a firefighter. According to Seattle Police, after WSP's investigation, Seattle Fire put Sapier on administrative leave.

The news of his arrest also pushed SPD to reopen an unfinished case from several years back. Officers say in 2019, a 14-year-old contacted police, told them they had been given alcohol and raped. Shortly after reporting the crime, however, officers say the victim vanished, and they couldn't find or contact the 14-year-old, so the case was dropped.

When the Seattle Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit heard about the WSP sting operation, they say it inspired them to pick up the case once again— and this time they managed to track the victim down.

The victim identified their assailant as Sapier, police said. He has since been arrested and booked into the King County Jail for rape of a child.