MERLIN, Ore. — A Josephine County man is behind bars, charged with multiple counts of Sex Abuse, according to Oregon State Police (OSP). Details at this time are scarce, but detectives believe that there are more victims who have yet to come forward.
Detectives arrested 50-year-old Mark Christopher Boothe of Merlin on Monday. Boothe has been lodged in the Josephine County Jail on 5 counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree and 5 counts of Sodomy in the First Degree.
Boothe has lived in the Merlin area since 1992, according to OSP.
Court records indicate that a 9-year-old boy reported the molestation. According to a statement from police, Boothe then admitted to the victim's mother that he had molested the boy before ultimately confessing to law enforcement. The same statement reports that the crimes were committed between April and October of this year.
"Detectives believe there are more victims and are asking anyone that is a victim or knows someone that has been a victim of Boothe to contact the Oregon State Police Southern Command Center," OSP said. Anyone with information can call OSP at 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP (677) and reference Detective Eve Thornton.
