HILLSBORO, Ore.- On December 7, 2018, Judge Ricardo Menchaca sentenced Kenneth Garcia to 25 years in prison after his conviction on several sex crimes involving two juvenile victims. Those convictions include two counts of Sodomy in the First Degree, Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree and Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree- Victim Under 12 Years of Age. 

This case began after investigators with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office learned of possible abuse involving Garcia. They subsequently discovered he was employed as a school bus driver and moved quickly to protect other possible victims. There have been no additional victim disclosures to date.

Detective John Shipley of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and fellow investigators began looking into the case. Over the course of that investigation, he learned Garcia was abusing two young girls over an eight-year span. These crimes took place in Washington, Clackamas and Clatsop Counties. 

Garcia was arrested in February of 2018, shortly after the investigation began. He then admitted to the abuse and described himself as a “monster.”

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office takes crime against children very seriously. Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lewman prosecuted the case. Garcia entered a guilty plea on November 30, 2018 and was sentenced a week later. Under Ballot Measure 11, Garcia was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He must register as a sex offender for life and will be on lifetime post-prison supervision upon his release. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank our investigative partners across three counties for their assistance in putting an end to this abuse. We would also like to thank CARES Northwest for their support in this investigation. If you suspect a child is being abused, call 911 or report it anonymously to our hotline by calling 503-731-3100.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On November 30, 2018, Muizz Sosna was convicted of Sex Abuse in the Second Degree, Rape in the Third Degree, Menacing and Unlawful Use of a Weapon following a four-day jury trial.  

The convictions involve an incident from November 2017 when the victim was 14-years-old, and the defendant was 20-years-old.  The child met the defendant’s adult roommate, and co-defendant, John Wirtz, on social media.  The two communicated online and Mr. Wirtz arranged for the child to stay at their Washington County home in exchange for sexual favors.  Both defendants had sexual intercourse with the child at the home.  The men refused to allow her to leave the house, and at one point Sosna threatened her with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.  She was able to escape from the house and flagged down a USPS mail carrier for help.  The mail carrier called 911 and both defendants were arrested. 

Detective Cheryl Crecelius from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown was the prosecutor.  Mr. Wirtz subsequently pleaded guilty on July 5, 2018 to the crimes of Sexual Abuse in the second degree and Rape in the third degree.  

Muizz Sosna’s jury trial began on November 27 and lasted four days.  The jury returned its verdict on the afternoon of the 30th convicting the defendant on all counts. On December 4, 2018, Sr. Judge Edward Jones sentenced the defendant to two years in prison. Deputy DA Brown urged the Court to impose a lengthy prison sentence because of the victim’s vulnerability and the State’s concerns for public safety. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office continues efforts to combat human trafficking and hold these offenders accountable.  In March 2018, the DA’s Office joined forces with local law enforcement and community partners to form a task force to help address issues of sex trafficking in our community.  Community Partners, such as the advocacy group Safety Compass, are a great resource for victims of sex trafficking in our community.  

On July 26, 2018, Samuel T. Burris of Beaverton was sentenced to 150 months in prison by Judge Janelle Wipper for two incidents where he publicly masturbated at Dollar Tree stores in front of children under 10 years old. Burris, a registered sex offender, will not be eligible for early release.

Burris approached two young sisters in the candy aisle of the Dollar Tree in Aloha on October 11, 2017. He grabbed both girls on their buttocks and then exposed himself. The victims ran to tell their mother, who managed to take a picture of Burris as he was leaving the store. Law enforcement used the photo to identify Burris and connect him to a previous incident that fit the same pattern of behavior: on September 7, 2017, Burris had exposed himself to two young sisters at a Dollar Tree store on Cornell Rd in NW Portland, but was able to flee before police were called. After he was arrested investigators searched his phone and found a picture he had taken of the buttocks of yet another young girl.

Trial began on June 12, 2018, and lasted for more than three days. Burris claimed the case was one of mistaken identity, but jurors unanimously convicted him of all counts after hearing testimony from the young victims and viewing the photos for themselves. At sentencing prosecutor Allison Brown of the DA's Office Child Abuse Team discussed the predatory nature of Burris' behavior in explaining the danger he poses to the community. Ultimately Judge Wipper chose to impose consecutive sentences on the most serious charges, citing the age of victims and Burris' history among the factors that influenced her decision.

Burris' convictions include two counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, two counts of Public Indecency, and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor. This case is another reminder that child sex abuse occurs at a time and place of the abuser's choosing, frequently when there are no other witnesses and physical evidence can be hidden or destroyed. Oregon law recognizes that often the only evidence of abuse is the testimony of the victim. Persons wishing to report child sex abuse are encouraged to contact any law enforcement agency, the Department of Human Services child abuse reporting hotline at 503-681-6917, or to simply call 911.

https://katu.com/news/local/man-samuel-burris-who-exposed-himself-to-girls-in-dollar-tree-stores-sentenced-to-150-months-in-prison

On July 19, 2018, a Washington County jury unanimously convicted 40 year-old Michael Henry Forker of nine child sex crimes stemming from his abuse of a homeless 16 year-old boy in 2002. The verdict came after three days of trial in which jurors in the courtroom of Judge Ricardo J. Menchaca heard testimony from Forker's now grown victim as he relived the abuse that has tormented him for a decade and a half. Forker now faces a maximum sentence of over 40 years in prison.

The case against Forker began back in 2003 when investigators from the Washington County Sheriff's Office seized his vast collection of child pornography. Forker was eventually convicted of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree for the possession of those materials, but investigators always suspected that Forker had personally abused a victim in the Washington County area. After being revoked from his probation Forker moved back to Idaho, where he was repeatedly investigated on suspicion of additional crimes against underage boys. The victim reported that he could not bring himself to speak up in 2003, but found the courage after learning of these subsequent investigations.

At trial, jurors learned that at the time of the abuse the victim was homeless and vulnerable after a painful experience coming out as homosexual. Forker befriended the victim online and moved from Idaho to Aloha to begin sexually abusing the teen. Once in Oregon, Forker also volunteered at the Outside In shelter for homeless youth and applied to be an overnight counselor at a residential treatment program for teenage boys.

This case is another reminder that the victims of child sex crimes often wait to report past abuse. Child sex abuse occurs at a time and place of the abuser's choosing, frequently when there are no other witnesses and physical evidence can be hidden or destroyed. Persons wishing to report child sex abuse are encouraged to contact any law enforcement agency, the Department of Human Services child abuse reporting hotline at 503-681-6917, or to simply call 911.

Detective Dawn Vandenhey with the Washington County Sheriff's Office headed the investigation, and the case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Johnson. Forker's convictions include Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, five counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and three counts of Sodomy in the First Degree. Forker is expected to be sentenced in late September, 2018.