Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... CRIME Mentally ill man charged with sex abuse Man met alleged victim at Compass House in Medford Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 6, 2015 at 3:16 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 6, 2015 at 3:16 PM » Social News A man has been charged with sexual abuse for allegedly having unwanted sexual contact in a hotel with a woman he met while attending the Compass House clubhouse for people living with mental illness. Both the defendant and the alleged victim were attending the clubhouse, which opened last year in downtown Medford to provide a place for people with mental illness to socialize, work on administrative and kitchen tasks, pursue education, gain new skills and help each other. David William Back, 42, has been charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of third-degree sexual abuse. He entered not guilty pleas on the charges Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court. He is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $500,000 bail. Back and the alleged victim, who suffers from mental illness and lives in an adult foster care facility, met at Compass House. On April 16, the alleged victim accompanied Back to his room at Rogue Valley Inn on Riverside Avenue in Medford, where he allegedly tried to engage in sexual activity with her despite her pushing his hand away and telling him to stop, according to an affidavit. The woman said she was scared and traumatized by the alleged incident and reported it to police two days later, the affidavit said. In 2010, Back faced two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, but the charges were dismissed, Jackson County Circuit Court records show. He pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine in 2011 and to driving under the influence of intoxicants in 2014. On July 29, Back pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary for entering a business on Oak Street in Ashland and taking a cellphone. Compass House Executive Director Matthew Vorderstrasse said he cannot discuss the specifics of the case because of confidentiality concerns, but in general, a member can be suspended because of safety concerns. "Promoting safety is one of the key things we try to do here," he said. People can join only if they are referred by a therapist. Therapists consider whether the person has a predatory background, is a safety risk and whether the person can benefit from Compass House participation, Vorderstrasse said. Members cannot pose a significant and current threat to the safety of Compass House participants, he said. Compass House does not conduct criminal background checks, Vorderstrasse said. "The reason for that is a lot of members that come to us because of mental illness have committed a lot of petty crimes," he said. "It would make becoming a member of Compass House very difficult if we were to do background checks." Vorderstrasse said the alleged victim in the sexual abuse case had gone to the police on her own. However, staff members at Compass House try to be proactive in finding out about any incidents that occur. They then work with providers in the community, including law enforcement, to address situations and educate members about options they can take, he said. Vorderstrasse said one goal at Compass House is to enable members to advocate for themselves. He said the clubhouse has had a good track record. "In the year we've been open, safety incidents have been few and far between," Vorderstrasse said. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 6, 2015 at 3:16 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501