HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 18, 2019, a Washington County jury found David Allan Detgen guilty of three counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Chris Lewman and overseen by Judge Ricardo Menchaca. Detgen was sentenced to 200 months in prison for his crimes.

Hillsboro Police first began investigating a case of possible abuse in March of 2018, after the nine-year-old victim reported to school staff that she had been touched inappropriately by her mother’s live-in boyfriend whom she later identified as Detgen.

Detective Robert Rookhuÿzen of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office soon took over the investigation. In conjunction with the school counselor, the Oregon Department of Human Services and experts from CARES Northwest, investigators determined Detgen sexually assaulted the girl on several occasions.

Investigators also learned that Detgen was previously arrested by law enforcement in Florida for child abuse-related crimes, but those charges were eventually dropped. Investigators do not believe there are other victims out there.

Detgen will begin serving his sentence immediately.

Update: The Oregon Court of Appeals overturned Mr. Detgen’s conviction citing a non-unanimous jury decision. In February of 2021 Mr. Detgen was found not guilty in a retrial.

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
971-708-8219
January 22, 2019