'He pretty much stole any innocence'

As a former Pasco Fire Rescue chief pleads guilty to a lewd act, his victim tells her story.

By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer
Published August 10, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Douglas James Drape pleaded guilty in court and was declared a sexual predator. [Special to the Times]

NEW PORT RICHEY - She was just 11 when he first showed her pornographic pictures.

Then he started touching her.

At age 12 he had her watching pornographic movies.

The sexual abuse escalated.

Then he started taking nude photographs of her.

Finally, at age 14, she'd had enough. No more, she told him.

And at age 15, she went to the authorities.

Douglas James Drape was arrested two years ago. He came to court Thursday to plead guilty to his crimes.

A judge declared him a sexual predator.

His victim, now 18, had another word for him:

Thief.

"He pretty much stole any innocence I would have had," she said.

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He used to be a battalion chief with Pasco Fire Rescue. He resigned soon after his February 2005 arrest.

The week before his arrest he was found with a .45-caliber semi-automatic, threatening suicide. Then he was arrested on charges including capital sexual battery. He faced life in prison.

His victim decided 15 years was enough punishment. Her name, and her relationship to Drape, are being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times because of the nature of the crime.

She signed off on the plea deal, which meant a guilty plea on a lesser charge of committing a lewd and lascivious act. After prison, Drape, 44, will serve 10 years of sex offender probation.

"I thought it was a more than fair agreement ...," she said Thursday. "It'll be plenty of time for him to think about what happened."

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It took her two days to get her statement ready. She read it to the judge, and to Drape.

She said that during the abuse he kept her trapped in the house. Soon she became trapped within herself, unwilling to let herself experience emotions.

He robbed her of more than freedom.

"Innocent things turned to disgusting things," she said. "I didn't have the normal problems that teenagers should have.

"I had abuse."

- - -

Now, after all the therapy and counseling, she can feel again.

She starts college in the fall.

"It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders," she said. "It's good to know he's not going to be able to hurt anyone else. Now I can move on with my life and not have this hovering over me all the time."

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She lives with her aunt now. That's her guardian. Mom took Drape's side, the victim said.

Mother and daughter no longer speak to each other.

"He was still taking things from me," she said, "even after the arrest."

[Last modified August 9, 2007, 22:21:23]