The Brief

Noel Stepney, with a criminal history dating back to 1991, was convicted of second-degree rape in King County after assaulting a woman in her apartment; he was mistakenly released on $75,000 bail.

A bench warrant was issued for Stepney's arrest after prosecutors realized he was not remanded into custody; he faces a minimum 159-month sentence, pending a court decision.

Authorities urge anyone who spots Stepney to call 911, with Crime Stoppers offering up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest.

SEATTLE - King County detectives need help tracking down a convicted rapist who was mistakenly released from jail in July.

49-year-old Noel Stepney has multiple convictions dating back to 1991, but his most recent crime is by far the worst.

He was convicted of second-degree

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