PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Convicted child rapist Jessie Ezell was sentenced to 31 years in prison on Friday.
Ezell was arrested on September 21, 2018 in Gresham. The 45-year-old was then convicted of sodomy and sexual abuse charges after a 5-day trial.
Both convictions fall under “Jessica’s Law,” which requires a minimum 25-year sentence for adults convicted of raping a child younger than 12 years old.
“Jessie Ezell repeatedly sexually abused this child for the sole purpose of satisfying his own sexual gratification,” said Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Amber Kinney. “Only Mr. Ezell knows the true scope of this abuse. The crimes reflected in the indictment are only a fraction of the amount of exploitation that he is likely responsible for. He has shown no remorse or empathy.
“He betrayed this child in every possible way and used his position of trust to give this girl a true life sentence.”
According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the investigation began after Oregon DHS received a tip from a caller worried about the child back in February 2017. CARES evaluated the victim once in 2017 and once in 2018.
“Jessie Ezell was supposed to be someone this child could trust. Instead, he targeted and sexually abused her because of her age and her vulnerability,” said Kinney. “She endured repeated abuse and was trapped in a cycle of exploitation. As a result of her courage to come forward and disclose her story, she is now safe and is receiving intensive trauma-informed care and therapy.”
After Ezell serves his 31 years, he will remain on lifetime supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender.