A Tigard police sergeant with a statewide award to his name is now fighting a criminal charge after a woman told officers he exposed himself to her at a fitness center. Sgt. Luis Rivera pleaded not guilty to public indecency at his first court appearance this week, following a Washington County grand jury indictment handed up earlier this month.
The case traces back to August 10, when a woman called Tigard police to report that a man had exposed himself to her at a fitness center, according to KOIN. The officer who took her report ultimately concluded that the suspect was Rivera, one of the department's own sergeants, per authorities cited by the station. Department officials responded by asking an outside agency to investigate the allegation rather than handling it internally, and Rivera was placed on paid administrative leave the following day, August 11.
Grand Jury Indictment and Arrest
The Washington County grand jury indicted Rivera on September 11 for public indecency, a class A misdemeanor under Oregon law. He was arrested on September 16 and released ahead of his arraignment, according to KGW. He entered a not guilty plea at that first court appearance on Monday, and the case will proceed through Washington County court.
Oregon Revised Statute 163.465 identifies public indecency as a Class A misdemeanor. The charge can be elevated to a Class C felony if a defendant has prior sex-crime convictions, though nothing in the record indicates that applies here. A Marion County prosecutor will lead the case after the investigation was handled by an outside agency in Marion County, per FlashAlert.
A Tigard Sergeant With Statewide Recognition
Rivera's arrest is notable in part because of his standing within the department. Rivera is a Tigard police sergeant, according to the City of Tigard. Before this year, Rivera was a member of Tigard PD's Commercial Crimes Unit, a division funded through local business license fees to investigate organized retail theft and commercial burglaries near hubs such as Washington Square Mall, as reported by the Beaverton Valley Times.
In 2024, the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association awarded Rivera a Distinguished Action Award for his work as a Tigard detective sergeant, honoring law enforcement personnel across Washington County.
Leadership Transition and Department Response
The allegation surfaced just five weeks into a fresh command shakeup at Tigard PD. Robert Rogers is Tigard's interim police chief, according to KOIN. Rivera's paid administrative leave took effect a little over a month later.
Rogers said the department takes allegations against its employees seriously and that its reputation depends on community trust earned through its actions, according to KOIN. He asked the community for patience while due process proceeds. Tigard PD has said it will conduct a separate Professional Standards investigation independent of the criminal case, which remains in the hands of Marion County prosecutors.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Tigard
The case also lands amid a string of recent public exposure prosecutions in the area. In May, Washington County prosecutors secured a life sentence under state repeat-offender laws against a man convicted of public indecency stemming from a commercial exposure incident in Tigard, a case with dozens of prior convictions attached to the defendant.
Rivera's case is markedly different in scale and history, involving a single alleged incident and a misdemeanor charge rather than a repeat-offender pattern. What remains unresolved is the outcome of Tigard PD's internal Professional Standards review and any further scheduling in Washington County Circuit Court, where Marion County prosecutors will continue to lead the case against Rivera.
