PORTLAND, Ore. (Portland Tribune) — A Tigard man has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to sex crimes involving a minor.
Stephen Chineng Poon, 43, pleaded guilty in February to charges of first-degree rape, second-degree sexual abuse and one count of purchasing sex with a minor. He was sentenced Feb. 28.
According to the indictment, the alleged crimes were committed in Washington County between July 28, 2018, and July 29, 2020.
Poon is an artist who maintained at least two booths at the Saturday Market in Portland over the past decade, according to the Beaverton Police Department, which arrested Poon in 2020.
Authorities said Poon had known the underage girl for several years before he began sexually abusing her. He met his victim at the Saturday Market and then abused her over a period of time, Beaverton police said.
Traci Muldoon, a spokesperson for the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, said Tuesday, March 7, that the victim first met Poon when she was 7, and Poon began abusing her when she was a teenager.
Poon’s last known address at the time of his arrest in 2020 was in Beaverton, according to police and court filings, but court records now list his city of residence as Tigard.
Poon was initially charged with four counts of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, three counts of prostitution, three counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree, and four counts of sexual abuse in the second degree.
Poon pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges Sept. 8, 2020, the day of his arraignment. The three charges of compelling prostitution were later dropped, and charges of rape and purchasing sex with a minor were added.
Poon amended his plea to guilty for the charges of rape, sexual abuse and purchasing sex with a minor last month.
The charges of encouraging child sexual abuse, two other charges of purchasing sex with a minor, and four charges of using a child in a display for sexually explicit conduct were dismissed after the guilty plea.
Washington County Circuit Judge Oscar Garcia also sentenced Poon to 20 years of post-prison supervision and ordered him to have no contact with minors. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
Lauren Bishop is a reporter based in Beaverton. Mark Miller contributed to this report.
The Portland Tribune is a KOIN 6 News media partner.