Ex-Oregon House Speaker Cited in Sex Trafficking Sting
Portland Police have cited former Oregon House Speaker David “Dave” Hunt, a Democrat, following an undercover sex-trafficking sting operation in April.
In a Saturday media release, Portland Police Bureau announced that officers had put up decoy advertisements on human trafficking websites in April, as part of an operation where eight men got arrested and criminally cited with the charge of commercial sexual solicitation.
Before their arrest, the eight men had, according to Portland Police, contacted undercover cops to make arrangements to pay for sexual acts.
The media release did not mention any names but stated that one could request a list of them from Portland Police, which The Western Journal did.
The list of names The Western Journal obtained today revealed one of the arrested to be a “53-year-old David Hunt of Milwaukie, Oregon.”
Further information on the 53-year-old suspect, such as his full name, birth date and home address, obtained by the Portland Tribune from Portland Police revealed that the Hunt on the list is the same David Hunt who had served as Oregon’s former Democrat House Speaker between 2009 and 2011.
When the Tribune contacted him earlier today about his citation, Hunt replied, “I don’t think I should talk about that.”
A few hours later, Clackamas Community College, where Hunt currently serves as a board member, stated on Twitter that “[e]ffective immediately, Dave Hunt is taking a leave from the board.”
Today we learned CCC Board of Education member Dave Hunt has been cited by Portland police in a sex trafficking sting. We will take appropriate actions that serve the interest of our students and our community. Effective immediately, Dave Hunt is taking a leave from the board.
— Clackamas College (@ClackCollege) May 3, 2021
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From 2003 to 2013, Hunt had served in the Oregon House of Representatives as a state representative for District 40, representing Clackamas County.
During the House’s 2007-2009, he was elected to be the Democrat House majority leader.
In the 2009-11 session, he served as speaker.
While working at the Oregon State Capitol, Hunt was one among multiple co-sponsors of a 2007 bill intending to criminalize sex trafficking, the Tribune reported.
In 2011, Hunt had voted for bill HB 2714, which criminalized commercial sexual solicitation.
He was arrested and cited for the very crime he helped criminalize.
“Human trafficking is not a victimless crimes,” Portland Police stated.
“Survivors of human trafficking may be hesitant to seek out help from law enforcement due to the fact they may have been forced, coerced, or manipulated to commit crimes and fear arrest. Cases of human trafficking often include physical, sexual, and mental abuse.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
