A King County judge ruled this month that Robert Lough no longer meets the legal definition of a “sexually violent predator.”
ENUMCLAW, Wash. — Enumclaw residents are voicing their concerns over the release of Robert Lough, a Level 3 sex offender who recently moved into a neighborhood in the city after a King County judge ruled this month that he no longer meets the legal definition of a “sexually violent predator.”
Residents say they received no advance notice that Lough had moved in.
“I found out that he had already moved into the neighborhood, and we hadn’t been given any notification. Nothing in the mail. Nobody knew. He was just suddenly here,” said resident Jessie Moore.
“When it came out, it just blew up on Facebook, and then literally everyone just started knocking on doors,” said neighbor Heather Dale.
Lough was convicted in 1986 of raping and beating a 21-year-old woman he had met at a bar, a crime that resulted in a 30-year prison sentence. Assaults and threats committed while he was incarcerated extended his time in custody beyond his original release date. He also served time at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island, a facility that houses offenders classified as sexually violent predators.
Courts blocked his release over the years until this month, when a King County judge determined he no longer fits the “sexually violent predator” classification and released him without restrictions on where he could live. Lough is required to register his address, which is located on a street in the neighborhood near Enumclaw.
“He’s done some horrific crimes,” Moore said.
“It left me feeling disgusted and unsafe. We have friends that live right over here that honestly want to sell their house right now and move,” Dale said, adding, “We absolutely do not want this person here.”
Others, like Moore, are focused on organizing the community’s response.
“We want our voices heard. We want the community to know that this isn’t right,” she said.
King County officials confirmed that the sheriff’s office will be responsible for verifying Lough’s residence in the area every 90 days. Detectives will conduct these checks through unscheduled, in-person visits.
