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CLEAR Temp: 73 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, June 8, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 4, 2003 Man pleads guilty in teen sex abuse Girl, 13, met him over a telephone dating service off limits to teenagers By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A Medford man will spend more than six years in prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl whom he met through a telephone dating service. Samuel Eric Mooneyham, 31, pleaded guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court on Tuesday to a charge of first-degree sex abuse. The charge carries a minimum prison term of six years, three months under Oregon law. Mooneyham met the teen at about 3:30 a.m. on July 18 at the football field of Hedrick Middle School where they drank beer and had sex, investigators said. The girl went to a stranger’s house several blocks away and called police around 4:15 a.m. The girl first told police that she had been kidnapped from the front yard of her home — within walking distance of the middle school — and raped, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. The teen later admitted that she had sneaked out of her house to rendezvous with Mooneyham, whom she had met through Medford Party Line. Advertisement The telephone dating service — operated by a Canadian company — provides adult callers with personal profiles and contact information for other subscribers. A recorded message warns those under 18 years old to hang up. Also available in Portland, Eugene, and Salem, Party Line receives 10 million calls each year, according to the company’s president, Jim, who refused to give his last name. This instance was the first he had heard of a minor accessing the system, he said. Mooneyham told investigators that he thought the girl was an adult and that she had called him on his cell phone, Moran said. Charges against Mooneyham reflect the girl’s age rather than any evidence that he forced her to have sex with him, Moran added. "Mr. Mooneyham did not set out that night to have sex with a 13-year-old girl," said his defense attorney, David Orf. Prosecutor Beth Heckert argued that although the girl made a mistake by sneaking out of the house, Mooneyham was responsible for the situation because he was the adult. Based on her physical appearance alone, the girl obviously was underage, she added. Neither Mooneyham nor the victim spoke in court. Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia pointed out that Oregon law dictated the sentence that he could impose. Mooneyham was taken into custody immediately after the hearing. In exchange for Mooneyham’s plea, Mejia dismissed three other sex-related counts and a charge of furnishing liquor to a minor. Prosecutors have filed charges in another case involving the same girl, Heckert said. The teen and a friend called Party Line earlier this year and contacted a Medford man who allegedly touched their breasts and gave them alcohol, Heckert said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times