Portland, OR- Judge Christopher Ramras on August 28, 2025 sentenced Joseph Washington to ten years in prison for striking his 20 month old child so hard in the stomach that it caused significant traumatic injuries to the victim, including a perforation of the small intestine.
The incident happened April 4th, 2024 at a home in Southeast Portland.
The treating physician reported that this injury would have made it impossible to eat or hold down food within a few hours of the injury as the intestine was backing up bile into the digestive system, and that the injury was life threatening. The treating physician testified that if the child had not been brought in for care when he was, that he had a high probability of dying by the next morning.
A jury earlier this month convicted Washington of Assault in the First Degree, for causing serious injury to a child under the age of six; along with Assault in the Third Degree and Criminal Mistreatment in the First Degree.
He was sentenced to 121 months in prison.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors pointed out that Washington has previous convictions including:
Washington County: Strangulation Constituting Domestic Violence along with Assault in the Fourth degree constituting Domestic Violence in 2023.
Federal Conviction for Sex Trafficking of Children or By Force-Fraud or Coercion in 2010.
Multnomah County: Assault in the Second Degree, Kidnapping in the Second Degree in 2010.
Clackamas County: Assault in the Fourth Degree in 2006 and 2005.
Deputy District Attorney Mihnea Moga prosecuted the case for the state. After the sentencing he said: The Defendant’s violence nearly killed this child. Despite his attempts to ignore the child’s symptoms and persuading the mother to have the child go to sleep that night, her decision to take him to the hospital saved his life. The verdict in this case represents accountability for his gruesome behavior. Protecting children is what the community is tasked with, and I am thankful to the jury for reaching the proper conclusion and holding the defendant accountable in this case.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank Detective Steven Morinville for his excellent work on this case.
The Multnomah County DA’s Office would also like to recognize MCDA Victim Advocate Alie Aguilera for the care and compassion they showed the victims during such a difficult time.
THE FACTS:
The child’s mother told investigators that she was no longer with the defendant but that he was the child’s father and would occasionally watch him while the mother was at work. She told investigators that on April 4th, Washington was watching the child at his girlfriend’s house in SE Portland and contacted her that evening to report the child was throwing up significantly. Despite being told that he should take the child to the hospital, Washington brought the child back to the mother, who immediately took him to the hospital once she saw the condition he was in. The child underwent immediate surgery once it was discovered that his intestine was perforated and fluid and air was leaking into his abdomen. His perforation was evaluated by medical experts who determined that the injury resulted from blunt force trauma and was highly concerning for child physical abuse.
Later, the girlfriend told investigators that Washington admitted to her that the child was bothering him that night, that he got upset and punched the 20-month-old twice.
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