Robert Wade Jackson
A state judge in Oregon sentenced a 23-year-old convicted sex offender to a quarter century behind bars after the defendant admitted he broke into the bedroom of a sleeping 10-year-old girl, sexually assaulted her at knifepoint, and cut her neck. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Oscar Garcia handed down a 25-year sentence to Robert Wade Jackson for a series of felonies stemming from the 2018 attack, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Jackson last week pleaded guilty to one count each of attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree attempted sodomy, and first-degree burglary, court documents reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a press release from the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, Jackson on July 29, 2018 broke into the bedroom of a girl who lived in an apartment complex located in the 13700 block of Southwest 6th Street. Jackson reportedly gained entry to the home by removing a screen and climbing through an open window in the girl’s bedroom, according to a report from Portland FOX affiliate KPTV.
“The victim was awakened to a stranger in her room standing by her bed. The defendant was holding a knife and was displaying his genitals,” the DA said in the press release. “He then pulled the victim towards him and kissed her on the lips. She began to struggle. Mr. Jackson cut her neck with the knife and told her to be quiet.”
A 2018 report from Patch.com said prosecutors alleged that Jackson “used a Leatherman tool to cut her throat, missing an artery.”
The victim did not sustain any life-threatening injuries.
The 10-year-old girl then screamed for her father, who came rushing into her room. Upon seeing the girl’s father, Jackson dropped the knife to the ground and fled the apartment.
The father called 911, and officers with the Beaverton Police Department responded to the scene. Investigators were not able to locate Jackson that evening, but they recovered the knife that he dropped in the girl’s bedroom and entered it into evidence.
Detectives sent the knife to the Oregon State Police Crime Lab in Pendleton. Analysts performed a series of tests and found DNA on the weapon. Police ran the DNA profile through law enforcement databases, and it returned a match for Jackson. Because he was a previously convicted sex offender, authorities already had Jackson’s DNA in the database.
Following the attack, prosecutors said Jackson fled the state but was taken into custody several months later by officers with the Auburn Police Department on Nov. 6, 2018.
In addition to the charges stemming from the attack on the young girl, Jackson was also charged with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of failing to register as a sex offender. Those charges were dropped after he entered his guilty plea last week.
Jackson this week will be sent to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.
“The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim in this case for her bravery throughout this process,” the office said in a statement. “This office also thanks Beaverton police, including Detective Maggie Brown, Oregon State Police, and the Auburn Police Department for their work on this case.”
[image via Washington County Sheriff’s Office]