Troutdale teacher arrested at Bend Target, accused of trying to meet ‘teen’ for sex, in online police sting
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 26-year-old Portland-area teacher was arrested Friday night at the Bend Target store, where police said he arranged through online messages to meet a "15-year-old girl" for a sexual encounter -- but who actually was an officer conducting an online sting.
Starting a week earlier, an officer engaged in the online conversation with Edward Hernandez-Corchado, a social studies teacher at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said Monday.
Miller said the female officer told Hernandez-Corchado that she was a 15-year-old girl from Central Oregon, but that the teacher continued contacting her, making sexual statements and soon making plans to meet up with her in Bend.
Last Friday, he allegedly arranged to meet her at Target at 8 p.m. so he could take her to a hotel.
“Hernandez-Corchado specifically traveled from the Portland area intending to commit sexual acts with an underage girl,” Miller said in a news release.
When he arrived at the store, police arrested him and took him to the Deschutes County Jail, where he was booked on charges of first-degree online sexual corruption of a child, third-degree attempted rape, third-degree attempted sodomy, third-degree attempted encouraging child sex abuse, attempted contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor and luring a minor for sexual conduct.
Miller said police believe there could be other victims. Anyone with information was asked to call the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 503-988-0560.