An active duty sergeant in the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is facing charges of sexual abuse and harassment in Lane County.
Benjamin Scheen, 45, is accused of touching a Klamath Falls woman inappropriately and without her consent, The Herald and News reported. Scheen is charged with third-degree sexual abuse and sexual harassment, according to court documents filed in April with the Lane County Circuit Court.
Scheen has pleaded not guilty to both charges, and his trial is scheduled for March.
The charges were filed after a woman engaged to a former Klamath County deputy alleged that Scheen touched her inappropriately while all three of them were at a bar in Eugene in July 2020.
The woman reported Scheen subjected her “to unwanted, intimate touching,” court filings showed.
Brandon Fowler, Klamath County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, said the agency is aware of the charges, is cooperating with Eugene police and plans to evaluate the situation and do an internal investigation after the legal process in Lane County is complete.
“The employee’s duties remain modified throughout the investigation,” Fowler said.
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