A 57-year-old man received a six-year prison sentence for an attempted sexual assault that took place nearly three years ago in a North Portland backyard. Leroy Rubben Morales was found guilty in October last year on charges including first-degree attempted sodomy and second-degree attempted sexual abuse after the 2021 incident.
Morales was arrested after he tried to sexually assault a woman outside her home in the Piedmont neighborhood. According to KOIN, the jury found Morales not guilty on two counts of first-degree burglary and harassment. The culmination of the trial saw Morales receiving his sentence last Thursday.
While Morales was found guilty of several charges, the Multnomah County jury acquitted him of the additional counts of burglary and harassment associated with the case. Following his sentencing, Morales is currently in custody in Multnomah County and will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.
The judgment was met with mixed reactions from the community as some thought the six-year sentence for a such serious crime was insufficient. The trial draws attention to the ongoing conversation around the legal system's handling of sexual assault cases. As reported by KPTV, Morales's conviction comes after a long wait for justice by the victim and the Piedmont neighborhood, with the sentencing providing closure to an event that shook the community nearly three years ago.
