Prineville man arrested on rape, abuse charges
A 33-year-old Prineville man was arrested Thursday on more than a dozen rape and related counts, accused of sexually abusing a young female over the past few years, police said Friday.
The Prineville Police Department began a sexual assault investigation in June involving a young female victim, said Capt. Larry Seymour. The abuse was reported to have occurred over the past few years in Crook County by an offender known to the victim, he said.
Timothy Jay Gassner was arrested and lodged in the Crook County Jail on seven counts of first-degree rape, five counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration.
After the Prineville investigation began, warrants were issued for Gassner and served on him while he was lodged in the Deschutes County Jail in Bend on a separate issue. He was extradited to Crook County to face the new charges.
Crook County Chief Deputy District Attorney Aaron Breneman said Gassner was transported Friday from the Bend jail, once he’d served his time there. He was arraigned on the grand jury indictment Friday morning by video from the Jefferson County Jail, where Crook County rents jail beds.
The judge set Gassner’s bail at $500,000, but Brenneman said he’s being held without bail on three probation violation charges.
Seymour said no other victims are reported at this time. However, Gassner has lived with several people throughout Central Oregon, and police asked that anyone contact Detective Brandin Noland at 541-447-4168 if they have any additional information to provide.
