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.