Redmond sex-abuse suspect was Bend PD courier
A 41-year-old Redmond man arrested on charges of sexually abusing a young girl had been a Bend Police Department volunteer mail courier for nearly three years, but officials said Friday they have no reason to believe he had contact with children in that role.
“His duties included transporting our mail on Monday mornings,” Bend police Lt. Nick Parker said.
Bend police said they have terminated Randy Allen Moore’s volunteer role.
“When they had told us that they had actually made the arrest for Randy Moore for sexually related offenses, we terminated Mr Moore,” Parker said. “And we had no reason to believe that he had been committing these types of offenses.”
He was arrested Wednesday during a search of his home on Southeast Warsaw Street in Redmond, according to Redmond Detective Sgt. Jesse Petersen.
On Monday, detectives began investigating the report of sex abuse involving Moore and an 8-year-old girl, Petersen said. They learned he allegedly had been abusing the girl since May.
Detectives and patrol officers executed a search warrant at Moore’s home Wednesday, contacting, interviewing and arresting him on seven counts of first-degree sex abuse.
The case arose from the Safe Touch curriculum taught in many Central Oregon schools, Petersen said.
“We believe it’s important that parents talk to their children about appropriate and inappropriate touching. That way, we can make sure that all our kids are safe,” Petersen said.
Parker said Moore had been a volunteer with the department since November 2011.
“He was utilized on a limited basis as a mail courier,” Parker said. “His volunteer position never required him to have contact with children.”
Parker noted that Bend police have relied upon community volunteers since 1997 “to enhance valuable services that might not otherwise be offered.”
“Background checks are required for all volunteers,” Parker wrote in a news release.
Their duties consist of disabled parking enforcement, abandoned parking, mail courier, employment fingerprinting, vacation house checks and speed watch, the lieutenant said.
Petersen said Redmond police are “committed to making Redmond the safest community in Oregon,” and encouraged parents and guardians to “talk to their children about appropriate and inappropriate touching.”
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the Redmond Police Department Investigations Unit through Deschutes County dispatch at 541-693-6911.
