On 11/9/17 a Washington County jury unanimously convicted 49 year-old defendant Kevin Wayne Randolph of numerous child sex crimes involving young members of his own family. The verdict followed three days of trial in which jurors in the courtroom of Judge Eric Butterfield heard evidence of crimes Randolph committed against two different victims over five years ago.

Evidence presented at trial proved that the defendant subjected one child to prolific sexual abuse when that victim was between the ages of 6 and 11, and also abused a second family member when that child was only two to three years old. Because the younger child had no memory of the abuse the State relied primarily upon the testimony of the older victim who had witnessed the defendant assaulting the toddler. Using digital evidence recovered from the defendant's computer the prosecution was able to corroborate the victim's testimony with records of the defendant's historical downloading of media files that were indicative of child pornography.

The victim found the courage to come forward after learning that the defendant had gained access to more children in the family. 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. 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.

The defendant's convictions include three counts of Sodomy in the First Degree, three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, one count of Using a Child in Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct, and three counts of Incest. Detective Aaron Massey with the Washington County Sheriff's Office headed the underlying investigation, and Detective Gary Wright performed the computer forensics analysis. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for December 21st.