SPOKANE, Wash. — A man who sexually assaulting a woman he offered a ride to in Spokane Valley was sentenced to at least 14 years and up to life in prison on Tuesday.
Steven Pallett, 46, was found guilty of first degree rape with special verdict of firearms enhancement in November 2018. He was arrested on September 21, 2017.
If Pallett is released from prison after serving his sentence, he will be subject to lifetime Washington State Department of Corrections supervision and sex offender registration.
Before Pallett's sentencing, authorities said the standard sentencing range for his conviction is seven years and nine months to 10 years and three months minimum and up to life. The firearms enhancement carries an additional five-year sentence to be served consecutive to the rape sentence determined by the judge.
On March 18, 2017, investigators began looking into a reported assault where a woman said she accepted a ride from a man who was armed with a gun and forced her to give him oral sex. After speaking with victim, she admitted she was working as a prostitute when she was picked up by the suspect near Sprague and Hatch.
Authorities said the suspect drove to Valley Mission Park, near an A-frame wooden structure and they both got out of the car. The suspect told the victim he was not paying her, got a semi-automatic pistol from his car and pointed it at her, according to law enforcement. Authorities said he continued to threaten her with the gun and forced her to give him oral sex before he left the area in his car.
Authorities said a sexual assault kit was done after the incident and a DNA profile was obtained. They said the profile was checked against other known DNA profiles without success.
Investigators said they were able to identify Pallett as a suspect using “tower dumps” obtained through a search warrant and eliminating phone numbers that did not coincide with the crime timeline. Authorities said the search warrant produced over 17,000 cell phone numbers from the areas of Sprague and Hatch and Valley Mission Park. Investigators cross referenced the numbers and those failing to match both locations during the determined time frames were eliminated.
Detectives eventually narrowed the list down to 17 suspects. Only Pallett matched the description of the suspect. Investigators also learned Pallett owned a silver 2001 Chevy Cavalier and additional information provided by the victim matched.
Investigators said a search of the pawn database showed Pallett repeatedly pawned a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which also matched the description given by the victim. Those records listed a phone number for Pallett which was the same number identified from the cell phone data, according to officials. Investigators also learned Pallett had been reported for scaring, assaulting and patronizing prostitutes but none of the incidents led to an arrest.
Officials also searched Pallett’s home where they found a semi-automatic handgun believed to have been used in the crime. They also obtained Pallet’s DNA. Investigators said it matched the DNA profile obtained through the victim’s sexual assault kit.