Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that a Multnomah County jury delivered a guilty verdict for Jared Weston Walter, 37, for multiple incidents last year where Walter filmed women using the restroom.
On April 20, 2023, Portland Community College (PCC) security officers responded to a call for help from a student who reported her backpack missing. The student said she was using the women’s restroom when someone entered the bathroom and took her backpack off the coat hooks. PCC security was able to review CCTV from the campus that showed a person, later identified as Jared Walter, entering the bathroom and exiting with the student’s backpack. PCC security was able to locate Walter, who was still on campus and had the student’s backpack. In addition to contacting police, PCC excluded Walter from all of its campuses.
Further, between the dates of April 26 and April 30, 2023, Portland Police detectives became aware of a person entering women’s bathrooms in different businesses across Portland. Detectives were able to track the person via CCTV and witness statements. During the investigation, information arose that corroborated Walter as the person entering women’s bathrooms and recording various women while they were using the restroom.
The trial took place in front of Judge Andrew Lavin from May 28-30, with Deputy District Attorney Julian Samuels as the prosecutor. The 12-person jury delivered the verdict on May 30 after less than 30 minutes of deliberation, finding Walter guilty of 30 counts of Invasion of Personal Privacy in the First Degree and one count of Attempted Invasion of Personal Privacy in the First Degree. In addition, one count of Invasion of Personal Privacy in the First Degree was dismissed, and the two theft charges from the indictment will be addressed separately from this case.
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Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date in front of Judge Lavin. At sentencing, MCDA will seek the possibility of multiple upward departures, which could enhance the possible sentence for Mr. Walter.
Walter remains in custody in Multnomah County pending sentencing.
