Salem Man Sentenced To 25 Years Behind Bars For Child Sex Abuse

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A Salem man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual abuse of a girl over the course of three years.

The Salem Statesman Journal reports 35-year-old Terry David Powell was convicted of six counts of first-degree sexual abuse.

Powell pleaded not guilty and opted to stand trial before a judge rather than a jury.

Authorities say Powell was arrested in January 2018 after the 12-year-old victim told her mother about the abuse and the woman alerted police.

Court records say Powell knew the victim and the abuse began when the girl was about 9 years old.

Powell’s defense attorney argued the victim had a motive to make a false report because her mother confronted her about poor performance in school.
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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com