OREGON MAN FACES 62 COUNTS IN ALLEGED ABUSE CASE

by Shelley

Fox 12 News of Oregon, reporting from Corvallis, reports that 22 year-old Timothy Dyer, new father of a beautiful baby girl, in his second year of a happy marriage, has been charged with 62 counts of alleged sex abuse crimes dating back to when he was 10 years old. Charges have just recently been brought by three girls who he attended church youth group with for many years. Two are sisters who were attendants in his wedding two years ago.

Dyer will be charged as an adult even though the incidents were alleged to have happened beginning when he was age 10 up to at or near age 15. The mother of the daughters indicates the "abuse" occurred when her daughters were 7 and 8 years old and Dyer was 11, though conflicting evidence has been discovered which alleges dates beginning when Dyer was only 10. The girls' mother alleges that incidents took place in a church van going to and from supervised church functions. No explanation is given for the reason allegations are just now being made.

The alleged victim's mother indicates she notified church authorities, stating: "My kids went to them, and they said, 'Boys will be boys', and "We don't go to the cops with this,'" she said. The girls' mother eventually reported the alleged incidents to the police who launched an investigation, and without opportunity to rebut the allegations to the Grand Jury, Dyer was indicted in Polk and Benton Counties on dozens of charges in September.

Although Dyer was underage when the alleged crimes occurred, Oregon law allows suspects to be prosecuted as adults for crimes committed when they were minors.* Timothy Dyer will appear in Polk County court in February and Benton County court in April of 2010.

Oregon Voices Needs Your Involvement!

Oregon's Measure 11 (ORS 137.700) sets mandatory minimum sentencing for certain crimes, sex-related crimes typically 75-100 months in prison. Generally, the defendant's age at the time of the charge determines whether a person is charged as a juvenile or an adult. An adult accused after his or her 18th birthday must be charged in an adult court even if the alleged incident occurred prior to age 18. In this case, the allegations have been made after Dyer turned 18. If the State cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred after Dyer reached age 15, the Court could only sentence according to Oregon sentencing guidelines. Oregon voters voted five years ago to do away with the statute of limitations in regards to sex-related offenses.

Tim Dyer and his family are members of the newly-formed Oregon Voices. We are requesting assistance and support in fighting against this travesty and request RSOL affiliates and supporters to write to those who might be able to make a difference. Contact information follows:

Article & Comments at KTTV

Governor Ted Kulongoski

Attorney General, Oregon

OR Legislative Judicial Committee Chair/State Senator

Greg MacPherson

Speaker Jeff Merkley