TIGARD, Oregon — An Oregon serial rapist is set to be released from prison soon. Richard Gillmore will be classified as a low-level sex offender when he gets out and has some of his victims up in arms.
There are three levels for sex offenders, and convicted rapist Richard Gillmore is set to be released from the Oregon prison system on Dec. 16 as a “level one” or lowest risk offender.
That means the state won't automatically be notifying neighbors of Gillmore’s presence, which currently he is set to be in a transitional housing in Portland’s old town area, according to the Oregonian/Oregon Live.
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At a media gathering organized by Crime Victims United of Oregon, the message was clear: that's not OK.
“What makes me angry now is that we think it’s acceptable that he is a level one because he is not, he is a very vicious brutal serial rapist,” said Danielle Tudor.
Now a victims’ advocate, Tudor was one of Gillmore's victims, raped inside her southeast Portland home in 1979, at the age of 17. She is one of nine female victims the so called “jogger rapist” admitted to attacking.
Due to the statute of limitation rules at the time, Gillmore was convicted of only one rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1986.
Now that Gillmore is close to serving his sentence, Crime Victims United of Oregon President Steve Doeele said Governor Kate Brown needs to issue an emergency, temporary rule that will reassess Gillmore as a high-risk sex offender until the legislature can fix a system that would give the convicted rapist a pass.
“Thirteen years we’re flailing around with no system to deal with these sex offenders,” said Doeele.
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The parole board uses a system based on a ten-question form to help decide the level of risk for a sex offender to re-offend. But Doeele said the legislature passed a bill in 2013 to improve the system, and it's never been done.
“I’ve heard so many politicians say, ‘we’re all for protecting women and children and the community’ and my reply to that right now is your chance,” said Tudor.
It is an emotional issue for sexual assault victims, brought to a head with the pending release of Gillmore on Dec. 16.
“If that is our level one, I would really like to know what our level three is- because I can’t imagine anyone worse than Richard Gillmore,” said Tudor.
KGW spoke with Dylan Arthur the executive director of Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision. Arthur expressed empathy for victims, but also said the Static 99 risk assessment tool Oregon is currently using is used widely across the country and worldwide.
Gillmore will be on post-prison supervision until 2034, and risk level status does not determine how much scrutiny he will be under by parole officers, said Arthur.
KGW requested a response from the Oregon Governor’s office on Thursday but did not get one.