Chimacum man gets life sentence for second sex offense

Published 2:30 pm Friday, July 31, 2026

PORT TOWNSEND — A Chimacum man has received a lifetime sentence for his second sex offense against a child conviction.

Daniel Patrick Griffin, 57, was sentenced Friday in Jefferson County Superior Court to life in prison without the possibility of release, according to a news release.

He was convicted July 6 of first-degree rape of a child and other sexual offenses stemming from the sexual abuse of a child between 2015-18 when the child was between the ages of 4 and 6, according to the release.

“Because this conviction is Griffin’s second qualifying ‘strike’ for a serious sex offense — he was previously convicted of a similar offense in 2000 — the sentence was mandatory under Washington’s Persistent Offender Accountability Act, often referred to as the states ‘Two Strikes’ law for certain sex offenses,” the release states. “Under this law, life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is required upon a second qualifying conviction.”

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Griffin in June 2024 after receiving a referral from the state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), according to the release.

“Investigators arranged for a forensic child interview, which was conducted on July 3, 2024, at the Jamestown S’Klallam Justice Center,” the release states. “Based on the findings of that investigation, Griffin was arrested on July 5, 2024, and subsequently charged with rape of a child in the first degree and other related charged.”

At the time of his arrest, the child was 12 years old and provided detailed accounts of repeated abuse, according to the release.

“This young survivor showed remarkable bravery throughout this entire process,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Holly Graham said in the release. “She testified in detail about abuse she experienced as a young child, in front of a room full of strangers, because she wanted to make sure this could never happen to her, or to anyone else, again. That kind of courage deserves to be recognized.”

Graham’s dedication to the case and the survivor was praised during the sentencing hearing.

“(Graham) spent countless hours preparing this young survivor and her family for what a trial like this demands and she never lost sight of the person at the center of this case,” Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy said.

He also praised the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for its work on the case.

“Detective Brian Anderson’s thorough and compassionate investigation was the foundation this conviction was built on,” Kennedy said. “His commitment to this case, and to protecting children in our community, exemplifies the very best of law enforcement.”