Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A young offender accused of raping a woman during a supervised group outing to a University of Oregon football game pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday in Eugene.
Jaime Tinoco, 17, is being tried as an adult on charges of rape, kidnapping, sexual abuse and assault. His court-appointed attorney, Chris Shaffner, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
The suburban Portland teenager was arrested Sept. 13 after a 39-year-old woman told police she was beaten and raped near Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Tinoco was one of a dozen young people taken to the Oregon-Wyoming game that day by four Washington County Juvenile Department staff members. He escaped supervision after the game that drew more than 56,000 fans, and the rape occurred more than five hours after the final whistle, authorities said.
The field trip was part of a county program to help teens who have been in trouble with the law. A judge sentenced Tinoco to supervised probation in July following convictions on charges of burglary, harassment and possession of methamphetamines.
Tinoco was living at home at the time of the incident, so the excursion did not represent a brief taste of freedom.
"The overriding purpose of our program activities is to assist youth in broadening their horizons beyond their environment and to replace the criminal thinking that has led them to delinquent and anti-social behavior," the Juvenile Department said in a statement last week.
Juvenile officials have said the incident is under administrative review, and it's too early to say what changes to the program might be in store.
One eligibility requirement is that a juvenile offender must be enrolled in school to take part in activities. The Oregonian reported last week that Tinoco left school in April.
"Regarding the school issue, what I can say here is that most clients are required by the Juvenile Court to attend (a) school or educational program," Juvenile Department spokeswoman Julie McCloud wrote in an email Tuesday. "Generally speaking, alternate educational programs are sometimes sought for youth to complete their high school education."
The University of Oregon donated the tickets used by the group. Craig Pintens, an athletic department spokesman, said the university works with nearly 75 youth and community programs and requires a 4-to-1 youth-to-supervisor ratio. The Washington County offender group had a 3-to-1 ratio.
The Eugene Police Department has declined to release much information about the investigation, including when Tinoco's supervisors reported him missing.
Spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin cited an Oregon law that says departments don't have to release police reports to the public until the case is over. In many other states, a police report is available shortly after it's typed up.
______
Follow Steven DuBois at twitter.com/pdxdub
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
