EVERETT — A former massage therapist convicted of sexually assaulting a patient lodged several complaints Thursday about the past three months he has spent in jail, then asked a judge to send him home.
“You’re not going home this afternoon. You’re not going home for a good long time,” Superior Court Judge George Appel said.
The judge sentenced 64-year-old Steven Lee Cook to nearly six years in prison. Once he serves his time, Cook will have to convince the state’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board that he’s safe to be released. He will be on community supervision for the rest of his life and is banned from working in the health care field again.
Last month, a jury acquitted Cook of second-degree rape but convicted him of indecent liberties with forcible compulsion.
Cook was accused of sexually assaulting a woman who had sought his help as a massage therapist after a car accident. The former Alaska ice-road trucker got his massage license in January. The assault happened six months later, during the patient’s fourth visit.
The woman reported that Cook held her down and touched her genitals during a massage at Lynnwood Urgent Care Chiropractic. Cook, of Edmonds, later called her at home six times, asking her out on a date and asking her forgiveness.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Hendrix successfully pushed for the maximum sentence, disputing the defense’s arguments that Cook’s age and lack of significant criminal history were reasons to go below the standard range.
Cook on Thursday gave a lengthy speech that touched on his military service, the death of his mother, the pending foreclosure of his home, and his elderly uncle and aging bird who need his help. He also complained about his time in jail.
“I’ve been witness to every human tragedy I never imagined,” Cook said. “It’s pure hell.”
He also maintained his innocence.
“I feel stupid. I didn’t protect myself. I didn’t know the pitfalls and traps that could get me,” Cook said.
After hearing the man out, Appel was clear about what he thought of Cook’s claims.
“You are guilty and you did it,” the judge said.
Appel went on to say that he heard Cook talk about himself but “it’s really not all about you.”
The judge reminded Cook that he had read the letter from the victim. She has suffered because Cook took advantage of the situation for his own sexual gratification, Appel said.
He called the man’s behavior horrid, saying Cook treated a patient who needed healing “like some kind of toy.”
“My job is to hold you accountable for what you did,” Appel said.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley
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