Today the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office charged Terry Wayne Shepard, 60, with one count of rape in the second degree for allegedly having sex with an autistic, non-verbal, female adult client inside the facility.

“Protecting the vulnerable is one of our top priorities,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist.

On November 13, Buckley Police were dispatched to a report of a male staff member having sex with a female adult client of the Rainier State School in Buckley, a habilitation center for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Police spoke with Hunter Shear, an attendant counselor at the facility. She told police her supervisor is Terry Shepard, the defendant. Ms. Shear was trying to find Shepard to ask him if she could go on a break. Shear said she found Shepard in a client’s room. The client is M.S., 57, a non-verbal autistic adult with an estimated mental age of an eight-year old. Ms. Shear said that when she arrived at M.S.’s room, she saw Shepard with his back to the door and his pants and underwear down around his knees. Ms. Shear said Shepard had M.S.’s legs pinned up to her chest and was making back and forth movements like he was having sex with her. M.S. was on the bed on her back. Ms. Shear said she startled Shepard when coming in the room and he turned around to face her with his genitals exposed.

A nurse at the facility advised police she observed a small amount of redness and moisture around M.S.’s genital area. M.S. was taken to the hospital for a sexual assault examination.

Shepard was interviewed and denied any sexual contact with M.S. He advised police he had given the Washington State Patrol a DNA sample in regard to a previous sexual assault allegation 2-3 years ago. Shepard is not married to nor in a domestic partnership with M.S.

Bail is set at $500,000.

Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.