Spokane Man Guilty In Sexual Assaults Along Centennial Trail

SPOKANE, WA - A local man accused of sexually assaulting at least eight women along the Centennial Trail and other parks around Spokane was found guilty Wednesday. Jonathan Smith, 28, was accused of walking up and slapping the women on their backsides along the popular river trail, near Gonzaga, and at Riverfront Park.

Smith was given the nick-name "the Spokane Spanker" in local media. In April, he told the Spokane TV station KHQ that he was the one behind "dozens" of assaults along the trail. Smith told KHQ that he did "30 to 50" assaults over a period of three days.

"I'm sorry and wish that all women feel safe and secure wherever they go," he told KHQ in what was billed as an apology and confession. "I was doing it to be daring and mischievous, not malicious."

The judge thought it was malicious, however. He sentenced Smith to 24 months probation, and ordered him to register as a sex offender.

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