Police arrested a Sweet Home man on a number of sex-related charges involving a girl under the age of 12.
Dakota Lee Phillips-Newport, 20, was arrested on March 22 at around 3:36 p.m.
He appeared in court on March 25 facing two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and one count each of first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy.
On the two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, court documents indicate that Phillips-Newport “did unlawfully and knowingly subject a child under the age of 12 to sexual contact by touching her” and/or “by causing said child to have contact with the defendant’s (private part)” some time between 2015 and 2020.
On the charge of first-degree rape, the state alleges that Phillips-Newport “did unlawfully and knowingly engage in sexual intercourse with a child under 12 years of age” between 2015 and 2020.
On the charge of first-degree sodomy, the state alleges that Phillips-Newport “did unlawfully and intentionally attempt to engage in oral sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 12” between 2015 and 2020.
The court documents also include allegations that all counts contained within the filing that the crimes were of the same or similar character, based on the same act or transaction and was based on two or more acts or transactions connected together constituting parts of a common scheme or plan.
According to an affidavit filed by SHPD arresting officer Detective Sean Potter, who attended an interview with the victim at the ABC House in Albany, the victim was around six years old when the sexual abuse began.
At one point during the alleged incidents, the defendant told the victim he was a demon and this was the reasoning behind why she should comply with his wishes.
The victim, who didn’t come forward until recently, said the reasoning behind her late allegations were due to the defendant threatening to kill her and her siblings if she spoke to anyone about it.
Potter interviewed Phillips-Newport on March 22. When confronted with the allegations, Phillips-Newport told Potter “he did not remember anything like that happening between them and offered no explanation as to why the victim would accuse him of such things.”
Further in the affidavit, Potter reported that Phillips-Newport, however, did not deny the incidents occurring until Potter advised him that he was going to jail.
“I’m glad to have brought this case to an end, now I’ll leave it in the court’s hands,” Potter said.
“It takes a lot of bravery for victims to come forward and our goal is to seek justice for them to the best of our abilities. It’s a team effort.”
Phillips-Newport is being held in Linn County Jail on a $50,000 bail. He is due to appear in court on April 8 at 8:30 a.m.