Judge's gavel via Wiki Commons

‘Sugar Daddy’ hookup nightmare finally ends for a Washington state college student

Content warning: This article describes intimate partner violence. Please take care while reading.

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Jason Paul Hendry, a Tacoma, WA lawyer, was sentenced in January to nearly 10 years in prison for stalking a woman he met on the “sugar daddy” dating site “Secret Benefits.”

Sugar daddy sites like “Secret Benefits “help older men meet younger women who are willing to date and have sexual relationships, which can range from hookups to flirty texting, in exchange for gifts and financial rewards. Hendry, now 45, and the woman, then a college student, met in 2021, and at first, they only sexted and shared sexually explicit pictures, which she was paid for, according to The Tacoma News Tribune.

Around that same time, the woman, then 21 and who has chosen to remain anonymous, was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), and Hendry, a personal injury, estate planning, and employment lawyer, offered to represent her pro bono. She agreed, she said because she didn’t have any money, and in return, Hendry extorted sex from her, resulting in a 2022 sexual assault in her dorm room, which she said was non-consensual.

The relationship continued

via The Tacoma News Tribune/X

After the first sexual assault, the woman said she continued the sexual relationship because Hendry was representing her in court, and she felt like she had to, but before long she told Hendry she didn’t want the relationship and tried to break things off. After that, she said Hendry sent her harassing and threatening emails and text messages from several different accounts, including embarrassing messages to her school. As well as stalking, Hendry was convicted of extortion and harassment with sexual motivation connected to the case.

According to official documents, “Further evidence discovered in the Gmail return indicated Hendry was signing up for anonymous texting application and VPN accounts to attempt to mask the IP address the messages were coming from.” When law enforcement first arrested Hendry last March, he denied the charges, and police were unable at that time to link him to the messages, so he was released on bail.

Once freed, however, he began harassing the woman again, and once the texts and emails were proven to have come from Hendry, he was arrested and convicted in December last year.

Hendry is a veteran

Secret Benefits main page/via Secret Benefits.com

According to the News Tribune, Hendry is an army veteran with a back injury and nerve damage who was recently diagnosed with major depressive disorder and whose wife also has stage 4 cancer. In court, Hendry’s attorney Erin White told the judge, “Never once did I see that side of him that the state is so convinced is there. Even today before this when we were meeting in the jail, he is the one picking me up. He is the one saying it’s going to be OK.”

Meanwhile, Hendry told the court when it was his turn to speak, “I’m sorry [his accuser] felt unsafe, but I did not commit these crimes, and so I will not admit to them.” He also apologized to his wife. It’s unclear if they have children. Referring to her decision to start a “Secret Benefits “profile, Hendry’s accuser said before Hendry was convicted, “Young girls who think sugar dating is an easy way to make money, it can get you into a lot of trouble.”

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.


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Author
Image of Will Kennedy
Will Kennedy
William Kennedy is a full-time freelance content writer and journalist in Eugene, OR. William covered true crime, among other topics for Grunge.com. He currently covers true crime for We Got This Covered and The Mary Sue. He also writes about live music for the Eugene Weekly, where his beat also includes arts and culture, food, and current events. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two cats, who all politely accommodate his obsession with Doctor Who and The New Yorker.