Police and prosecutors take certain crimes very seriously. One of those crimes are those against children -- particularly child sex abuse. In Oregon, many child sex crimes are felonies that can result in a variety of serious punishments. When people are found guilty of a sex crime, they can face long prison sentences, fines, supervised release and may be forced to register on a sex offender registry.
Sex crimes also tend to negatively impact people's reputations in their communities from the moment they are brought. Often, these types of crimes -- especially if a child is involved -- are covered in the media which can make matters worse for a defendant.
Recently, a 49-year-old Oregon man has been charged with various sex crimes against children. In this case, police allege that the man repeatedly abused two young children. One of the victims claims that there were more than 50 incidents of abuse between 2007 and early Oct. 2013. According to police, the man has admitted to 10 of these incidents.
As a result of these allegations, the man has been charged with two counts of third-degree sex abuse, two counts of first-degree sex abuse and four counts of first-degree sodomy. A judge has set bail at $500,000. He is due in court again on Oct. 28.
While this case may be reported in the media, people cannot just believe media reports. In fact, this man has the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty. He also has the right to defend himself in a court of law.
In all felony cases, defendants have these rights and many more that must be upheld throughout the criminal proceedings. People should ensure that their constitutional rights are respected as they move through a criminal case, so that they are not unfairly convicted of a crime.
Source: Albany Democrat-Herald, "Albany man faces sex crime charges," Kyle Odegard, Oct. 9, 2013
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