TACOMA, Wash – A supervisor at a state habilitation center in Buckley was sentenced to more than 24 years to life in prison Friday for attempting to rape an autistic adult client.



In June, a jury found Terry Wayne Shepard, 62, guilty of one count of attempted rape in the second degree and two counts of indecent liberties in the second degree.



On November 13, 2016, police were dispatched to the Rainier State School in response to a report of a male staff member having sex with a female adult client at the school.



Court documents say the 57-year-old non-verbal autistic woman had the mental capacity of an 8-year-old.



“Our Elder Abuse team is a leader in the state for protecting vulnerable adults,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “Protecting the most vulnerable among us is a top priority.”





Rainier School is a 24-hour habilitation center for about 320 individuals with developmental disabilities.





The family of the victim also filed a $10 million lawsuit against the State Department of Social and Health Services.



