On July 21, 2020, a male, later identified as 45-year-old Martin Morin of Portland, Oregon, reached out online to a female, who was actually an undercover detective with the Redmond Police Department, who identified herself as being 15-years-old. During the interaction Mr. Morin acknowledged the female was 15-years-old and engaged in sexual conversations with her. Mr. Morin then arranged for him to travel to Redmond, Oregon, with the intent to meet the underage female, provide her with alcohol, and to engage in sexual conduct.
The meeting was set to occur on July 28, in Redmond’s Dry Canyon Park. However, instead of meeting the underage female, Mr. Morin, to his surprise, was intercepted by members of the Redmond Police Department and arrested for Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the 1st Degree and Luring A Minor. He was lodged at the Deschutes County Jail with a bail set at $25,000.
According to Oregon Law ORS 167.057 it is illegal for a person to use visual representation or explicit verbal description or narrative account of sexual conduct for the purpose of inducing a minor, if the difference in age is greater than three years, to engage in sexual conduct. According to Oregon Law ORS 163.432 it is also illegal for a person 18 years of age or older to use online communication to solicit a child to engage in sexual contact for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of the person or another person and to offer or agree to physically meet with the child.
The Redmond Police Department will always do its part to look after the safety and protection of the children in our community. We are here to protect and prevent all forms of child abuse and hold those accountable who try to hurt our children. If you suspect a child of being a victim of abuse, you can make a report to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233); 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may also report child abuse or neglect to your local police department by calling dispatch at 541-693-6911 for non-emergency situations and 911 if it is an emergency. If you would like to learn more about child abuse prevention please look at the KIDS Center, a child abuse intervention center, webpage, https://kidscenter.org/child-abuse-prevention/, for more information.