HPD nabs an alleged predator
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HERMISTON – Hermiston police have arrested an alleged online sexual predator in an unprecedented investigation that was launched in Houston, Texas. Chief Jason Edmiston said that officers were contacted by a Facebook group called Predator Poachers.
“It’s an online group that identifies and makes contact with potential child predators,” Edmiston said. “This group had already made contact with Eric Featherston, 41 years old, looks to be fairly new to Hermiston. I’m not sure where he came from.”
The group was posing as an 11-year-old girl, and they gave police evidence that the suspect was attempting to meet her. He said the four from Texas came to Hermiston for the arrest but had been working via social media on the case for some time. The four also visited the suspect on Tuesday before he was arrested.
“They befriended Mr. Featherston, spent quite a bit of time speaking with him, and then provided us with quite a bit of evidence,” Edmiston said.
HPD sought guidance about what was needed to make a case and bring it to trial from the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office.
“Now the ball will be in the district attorney’s court with regard to making sure that all steps were followed appropriately,” he said.
