Convicted Snohomish County sex offender gains March 5 release

A violent convicted sex predator is set to be freed March 5 after a Snohomish County judge ruled Friday there was no evidence the man was still a danger and ordered his release.

John Callahan spent more than 20 years behind bars for molesting eight children.

After the hearing, one of Callahan’s victims told KIRO 7 she wants to warn her community before he is released.

“I actually sat down to write out what he did and I – I had gotten to 10 separate violent things, and I had more,” Krystal said.

Krystal asked KIRO 7 to not use her last name, but said she wanted to show her face as she talked about what the then-17-year-old Callahan did to her when she was 4 years old.

“There was sexual violation. There was mind control. There was torture, and when I say torture, I mean with needles and sharp objects,” Krystal said.

Lawyers for Callahan and the state told the judge there is no evidence he is still a sexual predator.

“Therefore, we have no evidence with which to proceed and are required by statute and case law to dismiss the case and unconditionally release Mr. Callahan,” Assistant Attorney General Brooke Burbank said.

Callahan, 40, listened to the proceedings by telephone from the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

Afterward, Callahan’s attorney said freeing him was the right thing.

“There’s no evidence on the record that Mr. Callahan, you know, as an adult, has the same sort of issues that he had as a juvenile, and that is what the case is about,” attorney Michael Kahrs said.

It was little solace for Krystal.

“He’s free to ruin many lives,” she said.

Kahrs said that once Callahan is released on March 5, he plans to live wherever someone is willing to rent to him.