Clackamas County Deputy Steve Woolcock faced a judge in the Clackamas County Circuit Court yesterday on multiple sexual abuse charges. Arrested for offenses that reportedly occurred while off-duty, Woolcock's case draws unwanted attention from the local law enforcement community. According to a release by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, the deputy has been charged with one count of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, one count of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and three counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree.
Details surrounding the investigation, led by the Oregon State Police, began to unfurl in February when they alerted the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office of potential misconduct. Originally placed on paid administrative leave, which is protocol as per the county's personnel policies, Woolcock's employment situation swiftly shifted when formal charges were filed. This perhaps marks a move to distance the department from the behaviors that led to Woolcock's arrest. In a statement obtained by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the felony charges necessitated the adjustment in administrative leave status.
Woolcock, a Civil Deputy within the county’s force, has seen better days as his current residence is now the Clackamas County Jail. His bail, set at a quarter of a million dollars, may mirror the gravity of the charges against him. From an individual tasked with upholding the law to one now so rigorously bound by it, Woolcock's fall from grace is a stark and troubling.
