Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced that Thomas Zachary Rouse, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree and two counts of attempted encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree.

During the investigation into the defendant, it was discovered that he was employed by the City of Portland as the Parks & Recreation tennis director. 

According to court documents filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, in September 2015, the Portland Police Bureau’s Sex Crimes Unit received a copy of a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The report was submitted by an online dating website. The website reported that a user, later identified as the defendant, was engaging in a chat with another user to include an exchange of explicit images that were believed to contain child nudity and information related to the sexual assault of a child or children.

Following a lengthy investigation that was conducted by the Portland Police Bureau, the District Attorney’s Office presented evidence before the Multnomah County grand jury that resulted in an indictment on October 15, 2015. Three superseding indictments were later filed as part of the on-going investigation into the defendant. 

As alleged in the indictment, the defendant, in July 2015 unlawfully, knowingly, and for the purpose of arousing and satisfying his sexual desires, accessed with the intent to view, a visual recording of a sexually explicit conduct involving a child while knowing and being aware of and consciously disregarding the fact that the creation of the visual recording of sexually explicit conduct involved child abuse. 

Encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree is a Class C felony. 

Formal sentencing for the defendant is scheduled for May 7, 2018 at 9 a.m. before Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.

Copies of the plea agreement and other documents previously filed in this case can be obtained through Oregon eCourt Case Information (OECI) system under case number 15CR43766.

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Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director 
Phone: 503.988.6567
Email: Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us