On April 7, 2017, Jose Daniel Barrios-Gorgonio was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The defendant previously pled guilty to six counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree and one count of Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree. The crimes represented the sexual assaults of seven different victims over a six month period.

In the fall of 2015, police were investigating numerous sexual assault reports in south Beaverton. Initially, there was no suspect because the victims were all strangers to the defendant. The attacks were very similar in nature and occurred within one mile of the defendant's apartment complex. The defendant targeted young, female victims. He would prowl the neighborhood late at night or in the early morning looking for an opportunity. He grabbed the women from behind and would cover their mouths as they screamed for help. He then forcibly groped their intimate areas. The defendant's violence escalated leading to the last incident on April 6, 2016. During that incident, the defendant dropped his cell phone during the struggle, and police linked him to the crimes.

The case was investigated by Sgt. John Bennett from the Washington County Sheriff's Office and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown. At the sentencing hearing, the state advocated for a 300 month prison sentence. The reasons cited for the lengthy sentence included the nature of the crimes, the defendant's risk to the community and the impact of his crimes on the victims. The victims were present at the hearing and supported the state's recommendation. The defense requested a much lesser sentence of 75 months in prison. Ultimately, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Erwin agreed with the state and imposed a 25 year prison sentence. He commended the victims for their strength and courage and said he was proud to have them as members of the community.

For more information: Oregonlive.com