A Washington County jury convicted 33-year-old Edwin Enrique Juarez on September 4 of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and first-degree sexual abuse, and a judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison five days later for abusing a 14-year-old girl in her own home while posing as a trusted friend of her mother. The case moved forward even though the girl, who had struggled with depression and other mental health challenges, died by suicide in December 2025, months before the trial began.
Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Proctor handed down the sentence on September 9, in a case prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Rayney Meisel, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office. The investigation began after the girl told family members that Juarez, a friend of her mother's, had sexually abused her at home, as reported by KATU. She later moved to another state before her death.
Building a Case Without the Victim on the Stand
Prosecutors managed to secure a conviction without the victim ever taking the stand. Before her death, the teen had confided in friends who later corroborated her account to investigators, and she had also made formal disclosures to medical experts at an out-of-state child advocacy center, according to the district attorney's office. The district attorney's office described those friend corroborations and medical-center disclosures in its account of the case.
KATU's reporting notes that the victim is survived by her mother, father, stepmother, and older sister. The district attorney's office also credited the Hillsboro Police Department, medical experts, and the Oregon Department of Human Services for their assistance building the case. Per the station's report, law enforcement learned after the trial concluded that there could be other victims connected to Juarez, and the Hillsboro Police Department has asked anyone with helpful information to contact the department.
Why the Sentence Was Fixed at 25 Years
Juarez's 25-year term reflects Oregon's Ballot Measure 11, a 1994 voter-approved law codified under ORS 137.700 that sets fixed, mandatory minimum prison sentences for serious felony sex offenses, according to Lane County Government. The measure includes crimes like first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree unlawful sexual penetration.
Deputy District Attorney Meisel prosecuted the Juarez case, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office. The office's account of the case focuses on the Juarez prosecution.
How Washington County Coordinates Abuse Investigations
Cases like this one typically move through Washington County's Multi-Disciplinary Child Abuse Intervention Team, while the county's Violent Crimes Unit receives and investigates daily DHS cross-reporting intake forms; the multidisciplinary team meets monthly, according to Washington County Government. In 2020 alone, the county's Violent Crimes Unit processed 2,133 DHS cross-reports. Locally, CARES Northwest expanded its child abuse evaluation and trauma counseling services in February by co-locating at the Family Peace Center in Hillsboro, doubling assessment capacity and tripling counseling capacity for area youth, per a Legacy Health announcement. The organization serves more than 2,500 children annually.
Oregon's Department of Human Services is involved in reports of suspected child abuse or neglect and their investigation. Under Oregon law, designated professionals including teachers, healthcare workers, social workers, and state employees must report suspected child abuse, per the Oregon Department of Human Services.
The Juarez case is a Washington County child sexual abuse prosecution. The article also links to a report about a foster father. The article provides crisis and sexual-assault hotline information, including the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
