[ad_1]
Portland, OR (Sept. 26, 2025) — A Portland man has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to groping a 10-year-old child inside a Fred Meyer store last summer.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Souede sentenced 43-year-old Adam M. Caldwell to 48 months in prison for Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a felony offense. Caldwell will also be required to register as a sex offender following his release.
The crime occurred on June 20, 2024, when Caldwell entered the Fred Meyer at SE 38th and SE Hawthorne and approached the victim—a young girl—while she was shopping with her family. Surveillance footage showed Caldwell following the child down an aisle, shifting his grocery basket to free one hand, and then grabbing her buttocks. The act was interrupted by the child’s older sibling, who screamed, drawing attention from their father. Caldwell fled the store immediately.
Police initially struggled to identify Caldwell, but video from the parking lot captured him leaving in a white Subaru with Oregon Evergreen plates. After a public appeal for help, authorities identified Caldwell with assistance from community members, including some of his own family and friends. He was arrested without incident on July 30, 2024 at his home.
Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Afton Coppedge, who prosecuted the case, described the act as “brazen sexual violence” and praised the victim and her family for their courage.
“Mr. Caldwell… changed the lives of one family forever and put our community at risk,” Coppedge said. “I hope that this sentence sends a message to offenders that our community is determined to speak up against violence and hold them accountable.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office also thanked Portland Police Officers Brahy, Yoo, and Bernard for their work on the case, as well as Victim Advocate Alie Aguilera for her support of the family.
More about:
[ad_2]
Jordan Vawter
Source link