A Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputy assigned to the county’s downtown detention center has been off the job and on paid administrative leave since last October after a woman filed a federal lawsuit accusing him of sexual battery while she was locked up. The plaintiff, identified in court papers only as "Jane Doe," claims Deputy Martin J. Jackson traded commissary items, extra blankets and clothing in exchange for sexual acts and that she went along out of fear of retaliation if she refused.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, the lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Portland and seeks unspecified monetary damages for the woman’s emotional distress. The complaint alleges the sexual contact happened multiple times a week during the summer of 2020 and stopped when she was released in July 2021. It also claims Multnomah County failed to properly supervise Jackson, did not adequately investigate earlier complaints, and that the downtown jail lacks enough surveillance to deter or capture potential misconduct.
Allegations and Timeline
The woman says she was arrested on theft allegations in February 2020 and that the alleged pattern of sexual contact began later that summer, continuing until her release the following year. The case arrives against a backdrop of other misconduct probes at county facilities. In June 2025, KPTV reported that a Multnomah County corrections deputy was criminally charged after investigators alleged sexual abuse involving two people in custody. That earlier case drew scrutiny to jail oversight and investigative practices as the sheriff’s office conducted multiple internal reviews.
What Officials Say and Legal Status
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed Jackson has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 25, 2025. The complaint says Jackson joined the sheriff’s office in July 2012 and lists his age at about 40. Both Jackson and Multnomah County are named as defendants in the suit. As of the filing of the civil case, no criminal charges against Jackson had been publicly announced.
Legal Implications
The lawsuit is brought as a federal civil rights case under Cornell Law School, a statute that allows people to sue state actors for alleged violations of their rights carried out “under color of law.” If a court ultimately finds that county policies or failures in supervision played a role in the alleged abuse, Multnomah County could face civil liability even if no criminal prosecution occurs. The case could also add to calls for tighter supervision and expanded video coverage at the downtown detention center.
The complaint is now on file in federal court, and Multnomah County along with the Sheriff’s Office are expected to address the allegations through court filings and official statements in the weeks ahead. Hoodline will continue to track court developments and county responses as the case moves forward.
