A violent sex offender who fled Canada pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a harassment charge in Seattle as police explored the possibility of additional charges related to a sexual assault.
Wearing a red jail uniform with his hands shackled in front of him, Michael Sean Stanley made a first appearance by video feed from the local detention center. Seattle Municipal Court Judge Karen Donohue set his bail at $100,000.
Nic Gross, the public defender appearing for Stanley, sought his release and suggested that Stanley could be required to check in daily if the court wanted those conditions. Gross said that Stanley has an uncle and a cousin in the area who could get him work as a laborer, but Donohue questioned those family links and said the circumstances of his flight raised concerns about whether he would show up for future court hearings.
