Sex Offender Accused of Kidnapping, Attempted Assault of 2 Women in Oregon Campground

Tillamook County, Ore., is a popular outdoor recreation destination, and now it is also the source of a pending criminal trial. A man was recently arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap and sexually assault two women in a local campground.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gene Arnold McLenithan, 58, of Salem, Oregon, was arrested on May 28. He has been charged by criminal complaint with kidnapping and attempted abusive sexual contact.

Suspect Had History of Violence

McLenithan “allegedly kidnapped the two victims around midnight on July 4, 2024, camping along a public hiking trail in Tillamook County. McLenithan bound the victims, covered their eyes, and, after a period of time passed, told the victims he had planned to sexually assault them,” the press release stated.

The victims did not know McLenithan before the incident. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI is investigating the case. It is receiving assistance from the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The exact location of the incident has not been disclosed.

McLenithan’s kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The attempted abusive sexual contact charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.

According to reporting from The Oregonian, McLenithan was previously convicted of two counts of sodomy and burglary in Tillamook County in 2000. Prosecutors said he broke into a home in Otis, Ore., in 1999 and sexually assaulted a woman.

The FBI is encouraging anyone with information to contact them at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov.