PORTLAND, Ore. – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that the Multnomah County grand jury indicted 27-year-old Timothy Harris for the July 5, 2016 kidnapping and sexual assault of a person in downtown.
This case is being prosecuted by Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Tara Gardner.
Harris is charged with one count of sodomy in the first degree, one count of kidnapping in the first degree, one count of attempted rape in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.
It is alleged that Harris unlawfully and without consent took the victim from one place to another for the purpose of committing the crime of sodomy in the first degree. Harris is also accused of striking the victim in the head and cutting the victim’s throat.
Multiple patrol officers assigned to the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Precinct and detectives and a victim advocate with the PPB Sex Crimes Unit responded to the crime scene and hospital on July 5, 2016.
Law enforcement attempted to locate the suspect. However, the person left the area before police arrived.
Harris’ identity was not known until January 8, 2020, which is when, according to court documents, he was identified as the suspect on the basis of DNA.
Based on the investigation, law enforcement believes this to be a stranger-on-stranger attack.
The victim in this case does not want media contact.
Harris is currently in the custody of the King County Sheriff’s Office. An arraignment in Multnomah County Circuit Court will be scheduled after extradition.
This case is being investigated by the Portland Police Bureau’s Sex Crimes Unit.
No additional information can be released by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office at this time.
A charging document is only an accusation of a crime. Harris is innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) program provides 24-hour on-call response to victims of sexual assault in Multnomah County. Volunteers and staff respond to all local area hospitals to provide accompaniment for forensic rape exams, crisis intervention, resource referrals, and emotional support. This immediate crisis intervention service is then followed by ongoing support and advocacy throughout the investigation and prosecution of the case. The SAVA Program volunteers respond to approximately 270 sexual assault call outs each year.