06/25/2009

Associated Press

An Athena police officer charged with sex crimes involving a minor has been moved to a different jail for his protection.

Mark Ashcraft was moved from the Umatilla County Jail in Pendleton to the Malheur County Jail in Vale after his arrest Monday by Oregon State Police on charges of sodomy, sex abuse and online sexual corruption of a child.

Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo said inmates learned he was a police officer and started making threats.

Trumbo said the move was not special treatment and the 36-year-old Ashcraft was afforded the same protection as anyone else in jail. Some of his court appearances will be by video conference.

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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.info