Joel Rogers Sentenced to Fifteen Years on Multiple Sexual Offenses

UNION COUNTY – (Release from the Union County District Attorney) State of Oregon v. Joel Rogers, 22CR18196

In July of 2021, the Defendant, Joel Rogers, met the victim, a fifteen-year-old female,
through Snapchat. In subsequent meetings with the victim, Rogers, then nineteen years old,
sexually assaulted the victim on three separate occasions. During one of the sexual assaults,
Rogers strangled the victim to the point where she became lightheaded. Rogers continued to
have contact with the victim until September of 2021. During that time, Rogers sent multiple
messages via Snapchat requesting the victim take nude photographs of herself, offering
photographs of his genitals, and other sexually explicit messages.

The victim stopped having contact with Rogers in September of 2021 and eventually
told her parents about Rogers sexually assaulting her after being encouraged by a friend to come
forward. On March 5, 2022, the victim’s father contacted Rogers who said he knew he made a
mistake and asked the victim’s father to not call the police. On March 7, 2022, the victim’s
father contacted police to report his daughter had been sexually assaulted. Mt. Emily Safe
Center conducted a forensic interview with the victim and police interviewed Rogers, who made
admissions to having sexual intercourse and choking the victim.

A Grand Jury was convened on April 20, 2022, and Rogers was indicted on multiple sex
offenses. On April 22, 2022, Rogers was arrested and held in the Union County Jail on
$300,000 bail. A settlement conference was held on August 24, 2022, where the victim and her
family participated. After several hours of settlement negotiations, Rogers pled guilty to Rape in
the First Degree, two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and a single count of luring a Minor. The total sentence between all of the convictions is fifteen (15) years in prison and a subsequent period of post-prison supervision in excess of ten (10) years. During that time, Rogers will have to register as a sex offender, engage in sex offender treatment, and maintain no
contact with the victim.

The Union County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank Katie Greathouse and
the employees of Mt. Emily Safe Center along with Deputy Tad Butcher and Detective Ralph
Graffunder of the Union County Sheriff’s Office who investigated and assisted in the
prosecution of this case. The District Attorney’s Office would also like to thank Megan Browne
of the Union County Victim’s Assistance Office for assisting the victim and her family through
the process. The District Attorney’s Office would also like to extend a special thank you to the
friend who encouraged the victim to come forward, the victim’s parents who supported her
through the process, and most of all, to the victim in this case who had the courage to come
forward.

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Elkhorn Media Group