PORT TOWNSEND — A Port Townsend man accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman on his boat near Port Townsend before forcing her to row ashore was charged with second-degree rape Monday.
Joseph Packwood, 28, was ordered held in the Jefferson County Jail on $25,000 bail when he appeared in Jefferson County Superior Court on Monday.
Port Townsend Police Department Officer Kolby Schreier arrived to the Port of Port Townsend at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, where he contacted a woman who was standing on the shore and was “shivering and appeared frantic,” he wrote in his report.
The woman told Schreier that she and a friend were sleeping in the cabin of Packwood’s sailboat when she awoke to Packwood sexually assaulting her, court records say.
The woman said Packwood initially denied that he had done anything wrong, then told her to get off his boat, which was anchored 300 to 500 feet offshore.
The woman and her friend rowed to shore in a small rowboat that was attached to the sailboat and contacted police.
Police boarded Packwood’s boat shortly thereafter and arrested Packwood. He told police he had been drinking, but denied touching the woman.
Packwood said he didn’t remember doing anything, records say. He provided police with a voluntary preliminary breath test, which had a reading of .092.
Packwood will appear in court again at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
