Investigation leads to resignation

Deputy assigned to Mt. Hood corridor admits to sending sexually explicit text, photos to teens

By Jim Hart

The Sandy Post, Oct 21, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (41 Reader comments)

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A voluminous Clackamas County sheriff’s report, released last Friday, details the sexual habits of a 14-year seasoned deputy who served the Mt. Hood Corridor communities. After evidence that suggested “official misconduct” was made public last week, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Claggett resigned.

That action officially ended the investigation which was looking for violation of law or misconduct. A report on that probe answered the questions that local residents have been asking since sheriff's detectives began a criminal investigation in early July.

According to detailed reports of interviews with young women and teenage girls that Claggett allegedly sought for sexual flirting, Claggett was involved with the women while he was on duty, in uniform and in his patrol car.

Claggett defended his actions by saying he only flirted with the girls through text messages and photos sent to cell phones. But some of the girls talked about his actions on ride-alongs.

No inappropriate photos or messages were found on his phones or computer, investigators reported. He told investigators he had recently received a new phone and new computer.

Photos were found on at least one of the girls’ phones, but she said Claggett took the photos on her phone and sent them to his phone.

Claggett’s resignation came nearly three months after the inquiry began. The Clackamas County District Attorney concluded there was no criminal violation of law.

The Clackamas County sheriff’s office was unable to take action for what the report called “official misconduct” because Claggett resigned.

The sheriff’s department released a more than 500-page report Friday afternoon, identifying what sheriff’s investigators found on Claggett’s cell phones, computer and digital camera as well as the cell phones and MySpace sites of the women he allegedly contacted.

A transcript of testimony given to sheriff’s investigators describes Claggett’s history of sexual flirtation while on duty. After being read his rights, Claggett told sheriff’s investigators he sent photos of his genitals to a teenage girl.

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