One Brick Short

Alas and alack, poor Serial Rapist Nathan Antonio Washington, the man who hunted and stalked area women, peering in at them through windows and bustling around their bushes plotting an opportunity to break into their houses, surprise them, beat them and rape them.

Alas, poor Serial Rapist Nathan Antonio Washington, for he “didn’t mean for these things to happen they way they did.”

Bull. Serial Rapist Nathan Antonio Washington, for that is his real name, fully meant for those things to happen. He intended to terrorize and rape women he didn’t know. He fully intended to use his genitals, his strength, his body and soul as a weapon of terror, of destruction. He fully intended to destroy the peace, the tranquility and the lives of his victims. He didn’t care then. He only cares now that he’s going to jail for four life terms.

Alack, poor Serial Rapist Washington, for he was misled by himself into thinking “I was good, until I was tempted.” The urge to rape is not temptation. Temptation is when someone offers you something and, despite reasons to the contrary, you make a decision to do something you shouldn’t.

Temptation is cheating on your diet with a German chocolate cake. Temptation is considering cheating on your husband with the hunky neighbor guy. Actually doing it is called adultery. Temptation is not having the desire the stalk and force sex on someone, that’s a violent act of aggression over someone surprised and, preferably helpless.

It’s an act of war.

Serial Rapist Washington pleaded guilty to four attacks in Charlottesville and one in Albemarle County. A sixth attack in Albemarle will not be pursued. Authorities in Waynesboro are waiting on lab results before deciding whether to prosecute a 1997 rape that has also been attributed to the serial rapist, a prosecutor there said Monday.

That’s seven lives Serial Rapist Washington decimated in 10 years.

D-P’s Rob Seal was in court yesterday as Serial Rapist Washington heard his sentence. Prosecutor Dave Chapman read from a statement one victim provided in which she explained that, nearly nine years after she was raped, she still battles daily bouts of fear and anxiety.

“I never sleep in the dark, never go outside alone,” the victim wrote.

She also addressed Serial Rapist Washington directly: “I feel like I see you all over.”

That’s what Serial Rapist Washington intended. And, as long as he lives, he will have that impact on his victims.

Before he was sentenced, Serial Rapist Washington also asked for divine forgiveness and asked God to bless his victims and family. I would second all of those, especially for his four children and his wife who didn’t know the monster that lurked inside, and his victims who learned about it the hard way.

“I had no self-control,” he said.

Bull.

“I accept my punishment.”

Wow, suddenly he mans-up. Why didn’t he do that before he attacked someone? Why didn’t he accept his responsibility to get himself help and protect those around him the first time he felt the urge to rape, the first time he found himself in some woman’s yard watching, plotting and committing? How about the second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth time?

In the end, Serial Rapist Washington was sentenced to four life terms in prison plus 20 years. The Commonwealth does not allow the judge to impose a one life term and then end that term early, the way we put to sleep vicious pitbulls or other animals that are dangers to human life and society.

After all, prison is a society complete with weak and vulnerable members and there’s no sign that his predatory ways will abate. We’ve just passed our danger on to someone else.

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