An Aurora man previously labeled a “prolific sexual predator” by authorities has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in a case in Washington County.
Wallace was sentenced to 30 years in prison by Washington County Circuit Court Judge Erik Buchèr.
Wallace is a convicted sex offender, who was released from prison in 2017. In March 2019, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop and arrested the defendant who was driving with a child at the time.
Investigators executed a search warrant on the defendant’s phone and found a large number of text messages and photos, including multiple conversations with minors that police described as “unlawful contact.” Four of the victims were from Washington County.
Investigators described Wallace’s pattern as establishing contact his victims via popular social media apps such as Instagram, SnapChat, Grindr and Hornet, on which he would pose as a young boy.
“He would then engage in sexually charged messaging, ask for photos of the victims and in some instances, he purchased cell phones and credit cards for his victims,” Washington County prosecutors said. “Eventually, Mr. Wallace would convince these minors to meet in person so that he could sexually abuse them.”
Wallace was later indicted on 19 felony charges in Washington County for allegedly sexually abusing boys and luring minors online. He was also charged with (and has pleaded guilty to) eight sex crime charges in Marion County.
He is facing similar charges in Linn County and in Cowlitz County, Wash.