Hood River Sheriff’s deputy accused of sexually abusing child out on bond

Article from KATU.com

A Hood River County Sheriff’s deputy accused of sexually abusing a child has been released from jail after posting bond.

Deputy Marc Smith was arrested last week by Oregon State Police on charges of luring a minor, third-degree sexual abuse, public indecency and private indecency in connection with an incident that occurred while he was off duty.

“While Mr. Smith’s conduct happened off duty, making certain that our organization maintains the highest standards of conduct and professionalism is paramount,” Hood River County Sheriff Matt English said in a news release. “I am committed to ensuring that our employees are held to the same standards as every citizen and that we are accountable for our actions whether on or off duty. This incident, while deeply disturbing, should not overshadow the hard work that is done by the professional men and women in our organization every day.”

Smith, a 17-year-veteran with Hood River County, remains on leave from the sheriff’s office and the case has been referred to Crook County District Attorney Daina Vitolins.

Vitolins says she will begin reviewing case reports at the end of the week. While she cannot talk about details of the case, she says incidents took place over an 18-month time period.

Many residents in Hood River County, like Crystal Dougherty, are disturbed after hearing about the allegations against Smith.

“They’re usually Johnny-on-the-spot, and they’re really awesome people. They do their job. This is kind of disheartening learning this about one of our deputies and trusted community workers,” Dougherty said.

She added, “That’s just not OK for people we trust in the community. He is supposed to be a role model for our children. That’s just not OK.”

Matt Joyce, who lives in Hood River, says cops should be held to higher standards.

“[He is] someone that is supposed to be making us feel safe and [he is] letting the public down. Not a good thing,” Joyce said.

If you or someone you care about was sexually abused and you would like advice from an attorney about the rights and options for victims of child sexual abuse, please contact Crew Janci today for a free, confidential consultation at 1-888-407-0224 or by using our private online form.  We will treat you with discretion and respect.

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