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| Topic | Oregon man sentenced to 14 months for raping 3 teens. |
| BlueTigerLion 01/01/20 2:29:53 PM #1: | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/crime/2019/12/23/salem-keizer-oregon-crime-rape-prison/2735509001/ A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to raping three Keizer teens. Joseph Myers, of Salem, was living in Keizer when he was charged with 12 counts of third-degree rape, one count of third-degree sodomy and three counts of unlawful delivery of marijuana to a minor. According to court records, Myers caught the attention of Keizer police after his father called dispatch to report that his son had sex with "half a dozen underage girls." He said he tried to help his son and get him to stop, but he called police after catching Myers, then 20 years old, talking on the phone to a 12-year-old girl. The call led the Keizer Police Department to conduct a months-long investigation into Myers, eventually uncovering the disclosures of six different underage girls. An indictment was later filed naming three different victims. According to court records, Myers targeted young runaways and would supply the teens with marijuana. He met one of his victims when she was 15. Another was 14. A third was 13 years old when Myers first had sexual intercourse with her. Due to the victims being under 16, the acts were considered third-degree rape. Myers reportedly had sex with the girls multiple times, starting in January 2017 and continuing until April 2018. When questioned about the conduct, Myers at first said his victims had "crushes" on him and denied doing anything illegal. But when police confronted him with physical evidence text messages and photographs Myers said, "I wish it never took place ... there is not much explaining I can do," according to court records. Contact with some of his victims continued after Myers' arrest and release from jail, with one teen telling police she messaged Myers through others' accounts and met with him at a park. According to court records, Myers could have faced more than 12 years in prison. Habekost said Myers is amenable to treatment, and probation would serve the "community safety interest by promoting offender reformation." He said that Myers readily admits to his crimes and "understands that he caused emotional hurt and betrayed trust because of his sexual activities." Prosecutor Alexandra Overton argued for a prison sentence of four years. She cited Myers' numerous victims both named and unnamed as well as his continued disregard for the law he demonstrated while awaiting trial. Overton's described Myers' actions as "egregious and said he was not a good candidate for probation. "(He) admittedly victimized three separate victims in this matter," she said in a sentencing memorandum. "Numerous times. When he knew it was wrong. So wrong, in fact, that he continued to manipulate these victims, ask them to 'cover for him,' and continued to prey on them." Overton added that the victims had difficulties at home and were all runaways. She said Myers preyed on their vulnerabilities and naivety in addition to giving them marijuana and a place to hide-out when the ran away from home, knowing "they had no one else to turn to." She conceded that Myers' lack of criminal history warranted a shorter prison term than what could be a 150-month sentence, but said this lack of history could be attributed to the fact that he was only 20 when he was arrested. During his sentencing late last week, Marion County Judge Channing Bennett ordered Myers to be lodged in prison for 14 months and to serve five years of probation. He was ordered to register as a sex offender and enter into sex offender treatment. Under his sentence, Myers could be eligible for a reduced sentence or work release. --- Hey now. ... Copied to Clipboard! |
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