'Mayor of Aurora' sentenced to 10 years for assaulting, filming unconscious prostitutes Laughn Doescher offered up his RV for drug-addicted prostitutes to eat and sleep in before taking advantage of them

Laughn Elliott Doescher, right, speaks with his attorney, Lisa Mulligan, before his sentencing for sexually assaulting prostitutes in his RV at King County Superior Court on Friday.

Laughn Elliott Doescher, right, speaks with his attorney, Lisa Mulligan, before his sentencing for sexually assaulting prostitutes in his RV at King County Superior Court on Friday. Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close 'Mayor of Aurora' sentenced to 10 years for assaulting, filming unconscious prostitutes 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

He was known as the "Mayor of Aurora," offering refuge in his Aurora Avenue RV to drug-addicted sex workers who needed a place to eat, sleep and detox.

On Friday, 67-year-old Laughn Doescher, known by his middle name Elliott, was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for filming and sexually assaulting a slew of incapacitated women who trusted him as a friend.

It's unknown how many women Doescher attacked, but detectives identified seven, one of whom passed away after his 2014 arrest and charging. Authorities believe many more could have fallen prey to his trap.

"Mr. Doescher was a trusted friend," Seattle Detective Donna Stangeland said at Friday's sentencing hearing in King County Superior Court. "... His betrayal of them ... affected them deeply."

Read our prior story on the case.

Doescher was charged in 2014 with six counts of voyeurism, four counts of second-degree rape and one count of indecent liberties, but took a deal in August to plead guilty to four counts of indecent liberties and two counts of voyeurism.

Both prosecutors and the defense agreed to recommend 116 months of prison time for Doescher -- the top of the standard range for the crimes, but a sentence Assistant Attorney General Joshua Choate called a "significant break" given his previous slate of charges.

Seattle police learned of the situation when a 35-year-old woman flagged down police to say she had been sexually assaulted repeatedly in Doescher's RV after he offered her shelter while she was strung out on heroin, according to Stangeland's initial report to the court.

The woman had just reportedly been raped by a "john" when Doescher approached her and offered his RV as a place for her to sleep. She had known him and stayed in his RV before and accepted his offer.

However, while trying to sleep, she said she awoke several times to Doescher sexually assaulting her. She tried to stop him but passed out repeatedly. At one point, he hid her clothes from her. Ultimately, she found her clothes and escaped the RV to sleep outside, but she felt guilty about leaving another woman behind in the vehicle who also appeared "out of it."

Detectives located photos and videos in Doescher's cell phone depicting several women being sexually assaulted while unconscious, court records say. Investigators tracked down victims and heard several more stories of women who knew Doescher as a friend and trusted refuge who even offered them drugs to help them with symptoms of their drug addictions. Some women had a history of trauma, ranging from rape to child molestation.

Deputies rolled Doescher into Judge Theresa Doyle's courtroom in a wheelchair. He appeared weary, his breath and speech labored, complaining his legs felt as though they were on fire.

Doescher was diagnosed after his arrest with stage 4 lymphatic cancer and has undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiation while in custody. He moaned and panted throughout his sentencing hearing.

One victim who addressed the court Friday called Doescher a "sexual predator" and "psychosexual deviant." She didn't know Doescher had filmed her in his RV until Stangeland contacted her to say she found images of her in Doescher's phone.

"I never, ever wanted sexual activity with you, whether you paid me or not or whether I was conscious or not," she said, adding that he victimized her at the peak of her drug addiction and during her life's darkest days.

"You picked the wrong woman to target and abuse," she continued.

Doyle followed the sentencing recommendation proposed by attorneys.

"What you did was particularly awful," Doyle told Doescher as he put his head down on the table before him. "What's worse is you created ... a place of refuge for people who particularly needed that ... and you violated that trust."

Related: