Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced that 32-year-old Jared Walter was charged with two count of harassment and one count of sexual abuse in the third degree and one count of interfering with public transportation after he allegedly touched a woman’s thigh while riding public transportation.
According to court documents, this investigation started on March 25, 2019 when officers assigned to the Transit Division received information that a man had touched the thigh of a woman while on board a TriMet MAX in Multnomah County.
Records state that the woman reported that the man, later identified as Walter, sat in the seat behind her and that she could feel him sitting very close. Furthermore, it is alleged in court documents that the victim could feel the suspect’s fingers touching her upper thigh with his hand in her pocket, according to court documents.
Investigators were able to obtain surveillance video from the MAX, which showed Walter walking the length of the train as if he were looking for someone. The video captured Walter making gestures with both his hand and body that were consistent with the victim’s account of the events. Additionally, the video shows the victim jumping from her seat on the MAX and activating the emergency call button to summon help, according to court documents.
Using the video, investigators were able to identify Walter as the suspect, according to a probable cause affidavit.
On March 26, 2019, officers assigned to the Transit Division located Walter in the area of Southwest 6th Avenue and Southwest Pine Street in Portland, Oregon and took him into custody without incident.
Walter “has engaged in this exact type of conduct on numerous occasions over the past decade, with behavior including masturbating and ejaculating on TriMet passengers, cutting and super gluing their hair, and touching them inappropriately,” Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Zimmerman stated in court documents.
Due to Walter’s criminal history involving similar conduct and belief that he has a motive to flee, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office petitioned the court today, in the interest of public safety, to increase Walter’s bail to $100,000.
The court denied making a ruling on the state’s request until March 28, 2019 at 9 a.m.
As previously stated by the Portland Police Bureau, investigators would like to hear from any other community members who have unwanted contact with Walter. He is known to frequent public transportation. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call 503-962-7566 and reference case number 19-95917.
No additional information will be released by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office at this time.
A charging document is only an accusation of a crime. Walter in innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: Multnomah County District Attorney