Olympia transient sentenced for raping teen under bridge

A homeless man was sentenced to 43 months in prison after pleading guilty to raping a 16-year-old girl under the Fourth Avenue Bridge in Olympia.

Donald D. Harris, 41, appeared Monday in Thurston County Superior Court on the third-degree rape charge. His sentence also comes with three years of probation.

Harris was arrested Jan. 13 after the victim contacted police. According to court documents, the victim was waiting for a bus at the Olympia Transit Center that morning when she met up with Harris, whom she already knew. The two walked away together, and they ended up under the bridge at a homeless campsite. That’s when Harris raped the girl, according to documents.

Harris has previous convictions including second-degree assault, third-degree rape of a child, and failure to register as a sex offender.

This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Olympia transient sentenced for raping teen under bridge."