Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl after she reported the incident to school officials.
According to the arrest report for Donald Gates, 43, the inquiry began when the victim presented a note to the school detailing the sexual assault Gates perpetrated on her.
During an interview, she described how Gates drove her from her house to a lake in Umatilla early Saturday morning. He urged her to take off her shirt.
The girl got out of the car and attempted to flee, but Gates apprehended her and brought her back. He then raped her, both orally and vaginally.
When Gates tried to drive away from the lake, his car broke down, so he contacted a buddy to help bring it home.
Later that day, she informed some of her peers what had happened, and they suggested she tell someone at school on Monday.
She jotted down the information she could recall and shared it with the school resource officer. She also gave officials the dirty clothes she wore the night of the incident.
When detectives interviewed Gates, he first stated that he did not leave the residence last weekend. Then he remembered his friend had towed his car back, but he couldn’t recall if the victim was with him.
Because of the victim’s accusations and Gates’s contradicting statements, sheriff’s deputies charged him with sexual battery of a minor kid, lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim under the age of 16, and second-degree domestic abuse. He was booked into Marion County Jail on Monday, and no bond was set.