Gresham man indicted for sex abuse allegations in Deschutes County

OREGON
Bend Bulletin

By Claire Withycombe / The Bulletin / @kcwithycombe
Published Jan 8, 2015

A Gresham youth pastor is being held on $1 million bail after being indicted in Deschutes County on Wednesday in connection with allegations that he sexually abused his son and stepdaughter more than a decade ago.

James Worley, 42, allegedly abused the children consistently between 2002 and 2004 while he was director of recreation at a facility in Sunriver, where he had contact with minors, said Deputy District Attorney Brigid Turner.

In all, Worley faces 37 charges, including two counts of first-degree rape, 20 counts of first-degree sexual abuse, 11 counts of first-degree sodomy, one count of attempted sodomy and three counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct.

Worley was terminated for misconduct from his position as a police officer in Tillamook in 2007 and currently works as a youth pastor at a church in Gresham. Turner said the abuse was “repeated” and “continuous” and allegedly took place while Worley’s son was 2 to 4 years old and while his stepdaughter was 6 to 8 years old.

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