The Washington State Supreme Court has denied an appeal from a Port Angeles man convicted of human trafficking and sexual abuse, ensuring his 20-year prison sentence remains in place.
The state’s highest court declined to review the case of Patrick Callahan, 61, who was convicted in 2022 of human trafficking in the second degree with sexual motivation, sexual misconduct with a minor, and third-degree rape.
The ruling leaves intact a May 2025 decision by the Washington Court of Appeals, which upheld Callahan’s convictions, the Clallam County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday, Oct. 10.
Callahan was arrested following a Port Angeles Police Department investigation launched in October 2021, when a young woman disclosed years of sexual abuse that began when she was in elementary school in California and continued after Callahan moved his family to Port Angeles.
According to trial testimony, Callahan first met the girl while tutoring her in third grade. He offered her food, shelter, and clothing after learning of her family’s poverty. Over time, she began living with Callahan’s family. Prosecutors said the abuse started soon after and escalated as she grew older.
When she resisted, Callahan threatened to send her back to California, where her parents continued to struggle with housing and food insecurity. The victim testified that by the time she was a teenager in Port Angeles, the abuse had become nearly daily.
A Clallam County jury convicted Callahan in November 2022 after hearing three days of testimony.
Evidence at trial included DNA linking Callahan to the victim. Jurors also found aggravating factors, including that Callahan used a position of trust to commit the crimes and engaged in a prolonged pattern of abuse against a minor.
In January 2023, Judge Brent Basden sentenced Callahan to 20 years — the maximum within standard sentencing guidelines — for human trafficking, with concurrent terms for the other convictions.
He will serve at least 20 years in prison before being eligible for release. His eventual release will be determined by the state’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which could impose additional terms.
On appeal, Callahan argued that human trafficking charges should not apply because the statute required the involvement of a third party, such as in cases of prostitution.
The Court of Appeals rejected that interpretation, finding that trafficking applies when sexual acts occur in exchange for “anything of value,” including housing, food, and other necessities. The Supreme Court’s refusal to review the case effectively ends Callahan’s appeal.
“Mr. Callahan was able to show his best side to the public and friends while engaging in sex slavery in secret for years until the young woman bravely came forward,” said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Roberson.
“As vile and heinous as Mr. Callahan’s behavior is, this case also reminds us that human trafficking is here in Clallam County and that it might not look the way we see on television or imagine it.”
Callahan will also be required to register as a sex offender for life, serve three years of community custody after release, and remain under a lifetime sexual assault protection order.
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