HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 4, 2022, a jury found Norbeto Nestor Muniz, Junior guilty of murder and first-degree abuse of a corpse. On February 8, 2022, Judge Andrew Erwin sentenced the defendant to life in prison. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey and Deputy District Attorney Bryce Bissinger prosecuted the case against the defendant.

On November 17, 2018, Beaverton police were called to a home off of SW Allen Boulevard on a report of a suspicious circumstance. Responding officers searched the home and found the body of Amy Low. Ms. Low’s body was badly burned, and she was not positively identified until January of 2019. 

Ms. Low lived at the residence with the defendant and another man. Detectives identified the defendant as a suspect in the crime. Investigators secured a search warrant and found several items of interest in the home including items which contained DNA evidence. They determined Ms. Low was beaten to death and subsequently burned in a backyard burn pile. 

The defendant was arrested with the assistance of Portland police on May 8, 2019 and was held until trial. The defendant had recently been released from prison after serving a Measure 11 sentence for first-degree robbery. 

This office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Beaverton Police Department including Detectives Chad Opitz and Maggie Brown. This office also wishes to thank the Portland Police Bureau for their assistance in apprehending the defendant.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 27, 2022, Jaime Gomez-Figueroa pleaded guilty to first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Menchaca then sentenced the defendant to 25 years in prison. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against Mr. Gomez-Figueroa. 

The victim in this case is now an adult. She reported sexual abuse perpetrated by the defendant that occurred when she was a child. She recalled multiple incidents of abuse that went on for several years. 

The victim confronted the defendant with these allegations. He admitted to the abuse. Hillsboro police also interviewed Mr. Gomez-Figueroa. He confessed that he inappropriately touched and abused the victim. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim in this case for her bravery in bringing these allegations forward and for participating in the court process. This office also wishes to thank the Hillsboro Police Department for their work on this case. 

The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 26, 2022, David Duwayne Johnson, age 52, pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of public indecency. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Beth Roberts sentenced the defendant to 75 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against Mr. Johnson. 

The defendant is a registered sex offender. In March of 2021, he entered the room of a young girl as she slept. He then sexually assaulted her. The victim reported the abuse to a friend who then alerted an adult. Cornelius police investigated the case. They confronted Mr. Johnson with these allegations. The defendant admitted he did engage in inappropriate contact with the victim.

The public indecency convictions stem from two separate incidents involving the defendant. On June 11, 2020, he exposed himself to an employee at a grocery store in Cornelius. On June 18, 2021, the defendant was caught masturbating at the Cornelius Public Library. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Cornelius Police Department. This office also commends the victim in this case for reporting the abuse. 

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

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On December 17, 2021, a Washington County jury found Derek Mitchell Shine, age 32, guilty of four counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and five counts of first-degree sexual abuse. On January 24, 2022, Judge Andrew Erwin sentenced the defendant to 50 years in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Marie Atwood prosecuted the case against Mr. Shine. 

In June of 2019, the child victim in this case reported that the defendant, who was already a convicted sex offender, was sexually abusing her. The child was interviewed by experts at CARES Northwest where she gave additional details on the abuse that she endured. She reported this abuse began about one year prior to her disclosure. 

Hillsboro police confronted the suspect with these allegations. He admitted the victim often slept in his bed but denied inappropriate contact. Police secured and executed a search warrant on the defendant’s residence. There they found evidence corroborating the victim’s allegations. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim for reporting this abuse and for her participation in the court process. This office also wishes to acknowledge Hillsboro police, CARES Northwest, and the Oregon Department of Human Services for their work on this case. 

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

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 12, 2022, on the second day of his trial, Brett Howard Cunningham, age 41, pleaded guilty to first-degree invasion of personal privacy and first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. Deputy District Attorneys Chris Lewman and Rayney Meisel prosecuted the case against Mr. Cunningham before Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Erwin. 

The defendant was employed as a kindergarten teacher at Orenco Elementary School in Hillsboro, Oregon when the Oregon Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cybertip that he was accessing child pornography from his Multnomah County home.  

In May of 2020, Portland police executed a search warrant on the house and seized the defendant’s devices. He admitted they would find four images and videos depicting child pornography but claimed they were not for sexual purposes. Mr. Cunningham was charged in Multnomah County for possession and duplication of that child abuse material.

In addition to the four images and videos the defendant acknowledged, investigators also found a photo the defendant took of a student using the restroom at Orenco Elementary School in Washington County. The photo depicts intimate areas of the child’s body and is taken from an angle such that the defendant would have to be hidden from view when he took it. The victim was identified by police and no other students were impacted. 

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

Mr. Cunningham also agreed to plead guilty to two charges of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse related to the Multnomah County case. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 3, 2022. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On December 29, 2021, 23-year-old Devanne Joshua Branderhorst pleaded guilty to compelling prostitution and second-degree sexual abuse. On January 6, 2022, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Proctor sentenced the defendant to a total of 70 months in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown prosecuted the case against Mr. Branderhorst. 

The case involved sexual assault and efforts to facilitate the prostitution of two victims, ages 17 and 18. Police first learned of the defendant’s crimes in December of 2019, after they were called to a disturbance at a house in Washington County, Oregon.  The defendant was at the residence with both victims and was providing them alcohol and prescription medication. He sexually assaulted the 18-year-old victim while she was intoxicated. 

As part of the investigation, police learned the defendant was causing the 17-year-old victim to engage in prostitution. These acts of prostitution went on for months and were arranged using the social media website, Seeking Arrangement. This website is often associated with illegal sexual activity. Police discovered text messages showing the defendant directing the victim’s acts of prostitution. He also had a sexual relationship with the victim. He attempted to cause the 18-year-old to engage in prostitution as well but was unsuccessful.

Detectives interviewed the defendant. He initially denied the allegations involving both victims but later admitted he did establish accounts on Seeking Arrangement for two victims.

Judge Proctor also ordered the defendant to undergo post-prison supervision for three years following his release and required him to register as a sex offender. Mr. Branderhorst will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. 

In addition to this case, sheriff’s deputies also arrested Robert Kiyoshi Sunamoto, age 75, after he used the same website to contact one of the victims for sex. Detectives determined he met the 17-year-old victim, took her back to his home, and paid her for sex. In July of 2021, Mr. Sunamoto pleaded guilty to commercial sexual exploitation and was sentenced to two years of probation. 

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. In 2018, this office helped launch the Washington County Human Trafficking Task Force. Its mission is to identify sex trafficking cases, to rescue victims from these situations and to hold offenders accountable. For more information on these efforts, visit our website. 

This case is an important reminder of the dangers present online for children. The task force works together to educate the community about these risks to help prevent these types of crimes from occurring in the future. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver recently conducted a presentation aimed at educating parents and guardians about these dangers. This presentation is available on our website. 

This office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on this case including Detective Mark Povolny. Additionally, this office wishes to thank Safety Compass of Oregon for their assistance and support provided to one of the victims.