PRINEVILLE, OR -- A 38-year-old Prineville man will spend nearly the rest of his life in prison for sexually abusing three children between 2008 and 2013. A Crook County jury convicted Robert Clark on 15 counts, following a one-week trial last fall; he was sentenced Thursday.
District Attorney Wade Whiting says the investigation began in 2015, when an 11-year-old came forward. "She had a trusted friend that she confided in that ongoing sex abuse was taking place. Her friend appropriately encouraged her to go to her mother. As soon as the mother had received this report, she immediately contacted law enforcement. Once he was in custody, two more children ended up coming forward, once they felt safe."
Whiting tells KBND News, "This type of case is considered a Jessica’s Law case; and by that, when sex offenses are of such a serious nature, involving children under the age of 12, mandatory minimum sentencing laws apply." He adds, "In this instance, the mandatory minimum, once he was convicted of sodomy in the first degree involving a child under the age of 12, is 25 years in prison, without the ability of any form of early release. Due to the fact that there were three separate child victims involving six separate criminal episodes, the judge ordered that he serve over 54 years." He's not eligible for early release, would be required to register as a sex offender and will be on lifetime post-prison supervision.
Additional charges against Clark are pending in Wheeler County.
