HILLSBORO, Ore- On June 3, 2024, Gary Douglas Caughey, age 83, pleaded guilty to Public Indecency and was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Guptill also denied the defendant any eligibility for a reduction in his sentence, meaning he will serve the full 60 months. Deputy District Attorney Jason Weiner prosecuted this case.
The defendant has a lengthy criminal history dating back to at least 1973. He has been convicted of a multitude of crimes including rape and kidnapping. His crimes show a clear pattern of targeting underage girls both in Oregon and Nebraska. He spent several decades in prison.
On March 9, 2024, the defendant went to a Target in Beaverton, Oregon. He was wearing a sweatshirt with a hood and was following young girls throughout the store while masturbating. Two teenagers eventually noticed the defendant’s actions and alerted a store employee. The employee told a supervisor, and several workers confronted the defendant. He left before they could get his name, but they noted his license plate number and called law enforcement. Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded. They used the license plate number to identify the defendant as their suspect and confirmed this by showing his DMV photo to employees.
The defendant was arrested the next day at his home. He was wearing the same sweatshirt and admitted he was in the store the day before. Deputies obtained consent to examine the man’s sweatshirt. They discovered he cut a hole through the interior portion of the center pocket, which allowed him to access his genitalia while concealing his actions under the sweatshirt.
Deputies are concerned there could be additional victims who have not yet been identified. Anyone with information about additional crimes committed by the defendant should call the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 503-846-2590.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the actions of store employees and the investigative work of the Washington County Sheriff's Office. The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.