Editor’s Note: This article contains descriptions of child sexual exploitation, grooming, and abuse that some readers may find disturbing. Certain details from court documents have been withheld. Full records may be accessible through the King County Superior Court’s website. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual exploitation, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 1-800-656-4673.
A UW dining manager has been charged with six felony counts of child sexual exploitation after investigators say he sexually abused two minor girls — one as young as 13 — over a period of months. UW confirmed Saturday that he is no longer employed by the university, effective Friday, June 26.
Grant Lee Hough, general manager of residential dining at UW, was arrested by Seattle police June 16 and charged two days later in King County Superior Court with six felonies, including sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of commercial sexual abuse of a minor, two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first degree, according to court documents obtained by The Daily.
“The UW is aware of the arrest of a Housing & Food Services dining employee,” UW spokesperson Victor Balta wrote in an email. “Every UW Housing & Food Services employee undergoes a background check as part of the pre-employment process before being hired. HFS adheres to established University policies, applicable laws and required employment practices in carrying out its responsibilities.”
King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Laura Harmon wrote in charging documents that Hough “has a substantial disregard for the safety of minors and a prioritization of his sexual desires over all else.”
The case originated in Benton County, where the mother of a 15-year-old girl discovered sexual communications and images on her daughter’s phone in March 2026, according to a certification for determination of probable cause prepared by Seattle Police Detective Nicholas Kartes. Investigators from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office contacted Kartes in May after identifying Hough, a Seattle resident, as the suspect.
The investigation ultimately involved the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Court documents allege that Hough groomed and sexually abused two minors — identified only as MV1 and MV2 — beginning as early as Dec. 2025, with the alleged conduct continuing through at least May 21, 2026.
According to the probable cause certification, Hough allegedly met the minors online, positioned himself as a “sugar daddy,” and exchanged money, food deliveries, vapes, marijuana, alcohol, clothing, and phone service for sexual contact. He paid the girls through cash apps and also had Grubhub deliveries sent to the 15-year-old’s home. Encounters allegedly occurred in hotel settings in Benton County, Gig Harbor, and Tacoma.
Court documents describe Hough using encrypted and auto-deleting messaging on Snapchat, as well as purchasing a cell phone and paying for cell service for one of the minors — steps prosecutors characterized as deliberate efforts to evade detection.
According to the probable cause statement, Hough continued contact with the second minor even after the first victim’s mother contacted law enforcement in March.
In messages to the 13-year-old, Hough allegedly offered her $1,000 to have sex with her and one of her friends, and claimed to have paid for sex with several other girls, the charges say.
Cash App flagged Hough’s payment activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as consistent with online child sexual exploitation and grooming, according to the certification.
Investigators obtained search warrants for records held by Snapchat, Google, and T-Mobile. Among the materials recovered from Hough’s Google Photos account was a video depicting Hough sexually assaulting MV2, who was 13 years old at the time, according to Det. Kartes’ certification. Hough can be heard identifying her age on the recording, the document states.
On June 16, the Washington ICAC Task Force executed a search warrant at Hough’s Seattle residence and took him into custody without incident. Officers recovered a carry-on suitcase near the entry door that the probable cause certification described as resembling a “to-go sex kit,” containing items consistent with those documented in the assault recording.
Hough remains in custody, held on $750,000 bail. If released, he would be placed under electronic home monitoring and subject to court-imposed conditions, including a prohibition on leaving the state without prior approval, any contact with minors, and use of internet-connected devices unless approved monitoring software is present.
Sexual assault protection orders have been put in place as well, prohibiting him from reaching out to either of his two alleged victims.
In the charging documents, Harmon explained that child rape charges were not pursued in this jurisdiction because the alleged offenses appear to have taken place outside of King County — though the cases will be forwarded to the relevant counties as warranted.
“We understand that situations like this can create concern and uncertainty,” Balta wrote. “While recognizing the interest in obtaining additional information, personnel-related matters are confidential.”
Reach News Editor Sophia Sostrin at news@dailyuw.com. X: @sophiasostrin. Bluesky: @sophiasostrin.bsky.social.
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