HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 3, 2023, Timothy Irwin Meeker, age 72, pleaded guilty to three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. On December 7, 2023, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Oscar Garcia sentenced the defendant to 100 months in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver prosecuted this case. 

The defendant sexually abused two children. The first victim was abused multiple times over a span of several years. This came to light in 2018 after the defendant molested the second victim, who reported the actions to her mother. The girl was seen by medical experts at CARES Northwest but was unable to provide details due to her young age. The defendant denied any wrongdoing and investigators were unable to proceed.

In 2022, the first victim disclosed the abuse to loved ones and experts at CARES Northwest. Family members confronted the defendant with the allegations, and he admitted to the abuse.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends these victims for their bravery throughout this process. This office also thanks the Tigard Police Department and CARES Northwest for their work.

Mr. Meeker will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 30, 2023, Judge Eric Butterfield found Daniel H Rock, age 36, guilty of Using a Child in Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct and two counts of Luring a Minor. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lewman prosecuted the case against the defendant. 

Mr. Rock was living in New York and was working as a doctor when he began messaging the teenage victim via an online chat group. The defendant convinced the victim to provide him with her cell phone number so they could communicate directly. He then began pressuring the victim to send him nude photos of herself, which she did on multiple occasions. He also discussed meeting her in person and described the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with her. 

In September of 2019, the victim’s mother contacted the Tualatin Police Department. She told investigators that she found the messages between her daughter and the defendant after she connected her daughter’s phone to her computer. The mother found messages in which the victim clearly stated her age, and in one case, shared her current location which was her high school. She also found messages from the defendant urging the victim to delete their correspondence and to keep her phone locked. The mother told police that she called the defendant and confronted him. He asked her not to report his actions and said he would lose his family if they found out.

Investigators with the Washington County Digital Forensics Laboratory went through the victim's device. They found more than 7,000 exchanges between the girl and the defendant spanning a one-month timeframe. They included photos, videos, and phone calls. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim’s mother for her efforts in protecting her daughter and reporting the defendant to law enforcement. This case serves as a reminder to parents about the dangers their children face online. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver, who leads our Child Abuse Team, formulated this presentation to educate parents about these dangers.

This office also acknowledges the Tualatin Police Department and the Washington County Digital Forensics Laboratory for their work on this case. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 29, 2023.

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 20, 2023, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Eric Butterfield sentenced Jeremy Christopher Yandle, age 45, to 175 months in prison. This sentence comes after the defendant was convicted of four counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. Deputy District Attorney Rayney Meisel prosecuted the case against Mr. Yandle. 

In August of 2021, the defendant was released from prison after serving a sentence for convictions in Multnomah County for Arson in the First Degree and Manufacturing a Destructive Device. The mother of the two young victims allowed the defendant, whom she had previously known, to move into their home so she could help him get back on his feet. While living in the home, Mr. Yandle, who was already a registered sex offender from a previous conviction, molested two minor children multiple times over several months. 

Once the girls reported the abuse the defendant fled the home. Police were unable to locate him until June of 2022 when he was arrested in Multnomah County for attacking and stabbing a stranger outside of a grocery store. Investigators with the Tigard Police Department confronted the defendant about the sex abuse allegations. He admitted to inappropriate touching but said he did not think a young girl touched by an older man would be harmed.

At the sentencing hearing, DDA Meisel described Mr. Yandle as a “highly dangerous person.” DDA Meisel told the court that the defendant is “violent, manipulative, unpredictable, and predatory.” She added that the defendant “took advantage of the one person who was willing to show him kindness and he has shown no remorse for his actions.”

The victim’s mother, who is currently battling cancer, also addressed the court at the hearing. She expressed her grief, feelings of betrayal, and lamented the challenges her daughters will now have to face as they come to terms with the abuse. 

The prison sentence handed down by Judge Butterfield will run in addition to the 70-month prison sentence the defendant received in Multnomah County. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victims and their loved ones for their strength and bravery throughout the legal process. This office also acknowledges the work of Tigard police and CARES Northwest.

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 21, 2023, Jesse D Holt pleaded guilty to one count of Burglary in the First Degree with the intent to commit Sex Abuse. Judge Eric Buchér sentenced the defendant to 41 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Alyssa Camp prosecuted the case.

On June 2, 2023, the defendant smashed a window and broke into a home in Hillsboro, Oregon. The homeowners had just put their two young children to bed. One of the victims heard a noise but didn’t realize anything was wrong until she saw the defendant coming up the stairs towards her bedroom. She began screaming as the defendant approached her in her bed, at which point her husband made his presence known and chased the defendant from the home. 

The victims found the broken window and saw that the defendant prepared his escape by unlocking their back door. He used that door to exit the house and then fled the area. A home surveillance camera captured the defendant ringing the doorbell just before he broke the window. 

Investigators used that footage to circulate a photo of the defendant to area law enforcement. A detective with the Beaverton Police Department recognized Mr. Holt. The victims later confirmed he was the person who broke into their home. Officers arrested the defendant at his mother’s home. After a search, they found the same clothing he used in the burglary in the defendant’s laundry. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Hillsboro Police Department on this case. Mr. Holt will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.  

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 16, 2023, Braeden Richard Riess was sentenced for the federal felony crime of Interstate Communication of a Threat. U.S. Chief District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández sentenced the defendant to the seven months he served in the Washington County Jail, ordered him to participate in a mental health treatment program, and required the defendant to serve three years of federal supervised release.

In May of 2022, a federal agency alerted the Sherwood Police Department that it received threats via its website from the defendant. Mr. Riess threatened to shoot children at an elementary school in Sherwood and said he would commit suicide after the shooting. Mr. Riess was arrested and authorities notified parents at the school.

The case was originally referred to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. On May 17, 2022, the defendant was arraigned on six counts of Disorderly Conduct in the First Degree, the maximum available charge under Oregon law. However, because Oregon law does not provide sufficient means to address threats of mass violence, this office reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to refer the case for federal prosecution. 

Oregon law does not provide adequate means to address threats of mass violence to public places such as schools or places of worship. District Attorney Kevin Barton has worked with Representative Courtney Neron and multiple other state lawmakers over the years to remedy the issue. In 2020, DA Barton collaborated with lawmakers to craft HB 4145 which sought to close this gap in Oregon law. However, despite broad support, that bill did not become law. In 2023, DA Barton worked with lawmakers to craft HB 3035, but that bill also did not become law. 

Currently, DA Barton and Representative Neron are working on another bill to bring this issue once again before the legislature in the upcoming 2024 legislative session. DA Barton encourages concerned community members to contact their respective state lawmakers to voice their support for a legislative fix to this issue.

“I am grateful for the assistance in this case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep our Washington County community safe,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton.  “Now we must ensure that lawmakers act without delay to fix the gap in Oregon law so that we can send a clear message that threats of mass harm to locations such as schools and places of worship will not be tolerated.”

The office wishes to acknowledge the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon for its willingness to take on this case. This office also thanks the Sherwood Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Sherwood School District for their efforts to keep students safe and parents informed. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 17, 2023, a Washington County jury found Rosario Reginal Jumpingbull guilty of six counts of Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm, Aggravated Theft in the First Degree with a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm with a Firearm. On November 20, 2023, Judge Ricardo Menchaca sentenced the defendant to 270 months in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard prosecuted this case. 

On July 14, 2022, the defendant and an accomplice drove from Portland, Oregon to Tigard to commit an armed robbery at a pawn shop. The defendant entered the business while wearing a mask and immediately pulled out a gun. He pointed the weapon at the three employees inside at the time and demanded they give him cash. Prior to the robbery, the defendant received information from a pawn shop employee about where a large amount of cash was stored and security measures that were in place. One employee described that the defendant “knew where he was going.” The victims complied with the defendant’s demands, and he fled the store with a large amount of cash. 

Mr. Jumpingbull’s accomplice drove them away from the scene. A nearby driver’s dashboard camera captured footage of the vehicle as they fled the area. Investigators with the Tigard Police Department were able to read the license plate and linked the vehicle to the driver. They learned she was associated with Mr. Jumpingbull and confirmed he was involved in the armed robbery. Officers then secured a warrant for the defendant’s arrest.

On August 17, 2022, the Portland Police Bureau arrested Mr. Jumpingbull in downtown Portland. A short vehicle pursuit and foot chase ensued before officers arrested the defendant. Officers found a handgun inside the vehicle as well as items linking the defendant to his accomplice. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Tigard Police Department and the Portland Police Bureau on this case. 

Mr. Jumpingbull will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.