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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 Medford airport sets all-time record for passengers ... Motorhome destroyed in Talent-area fire ... John Muir school expands ... Medford airport sets all-time record for passengers ... Motorhome destroyed in Talent-area fire ... John Muir school expands ... Alleged toddler abuser was sex victim himself A Medford man accused of brutally beating and sexually assaulting his toddler stepson was himself sexually abused as a teen, court records show. Comment By Sanne Specht MailTribune.com By Sanne Specht Posted Mar. 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 9, 2012 at 12:11 PM By Sanne Specht Posted Mar. 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 9, 2012 at 12:11 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for brutal assault of toddler... » Social News A Medford man accused of brutally beating and sexually assaulting his toddler stepson was himself sexually abused as a teen, court records show. Matthew Karl Hyrup, 27, of the 200 block of South Columbus Avenue, pleaded not guilty Wednesday before Judge Tim Barnack in Jackson County Circuit Court to three Measure 11 charges — first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and first-degree sodomy. He is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $1 million bail. The toddler continues to be treated at a Portland hospital. "Words don't put this case in perspective," said Medford police Detective Jim Williams. "This has to rise to one of the most horrific cases I've seen." Williams said seasoned medical and law enforcement personnel have been brought to tears at the sight of the 18-month-old boy's injuries. "One of the nurses said he looked like he'd been dropped off a cliff and hit every rock on the way down," Williams said. Hyrup was among a string of victims who were sexually abused by Daniel Paul Zeman in the 1990s and 2000s. Zeman, now 72, befriended youths at local motocross events, invited them to his east Medford home and chaperoned them on out-of-town trips. Medford police Detective Diane Sandler testified at Zeman's trial that the case was the most horrific she'd worked on. Several adult men curled up in a fetal position during interviews at the Police Department and sobbed, she told the judge. Two men became suicidal after coming forward, she added. Hyrup told investigators before the trial that he'd lived with Zeman and was sexually abused "approximately 400 times" when he was between the ages of 12 and 16. Zeman in 2005 pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sex abuse. Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia sentenced Zeman to 13 years and nine months in prison, 20 years of post-prison supervision and to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. Marlene Mish, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Center, remembers the Zeman case. Prior abuse is never an excuse for becoming an offender, she said. "While it is true that abuse causes trauma, it is a myth that you will become an offender," Mish said. "Many, many people who were severely abused become upstanding citizens and part of the solution." Hyrup's case has been assigned to Jackson County Senior Deputy District Attorney Terry Smith-Norton. Hyrup is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on March 19, court records show. The 18-month-old toddler was left in Hyrup's care on Feb. 23 while the child's mother, 24, went out for a couple of hours. She and Hyrup were married just weeks ago, police said. Hyrup told police he placed the toddler down for a nap shortly before 2 p.m. When he went to check on the boy, the toddler had removed his diaper, thrown it on the floor and was not breathing. Hyrup told police he performed CPR and removed an object from the toddler's airway. The child vomited and defecated on him, he said. When Hyrup attempted to wash the boy, the child "went limp" and fell, hitting his head on the rim of the bathtub, Hyrup said. Hyrup did not call 9-1-1. When his wife returned, she found Hyrup in the bedroom holding her naked and unresponsive child. She called her doctor. Hyrup's brother and mother arrived, and it was Hyrup's mother who called 9-1-1. Mercy Flights medical personnel responded to a call of a child in distress at the home at 4:22 p.m. The boy was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center, where doctors found both internal and external injuries all over his body, determined the child had been severely beaten and sexually assaulted, and called police. The child was airlifted to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. He recently was released to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center for continued treatment, Williams said. Circuit Court records show Hyrup has been convicted of multiple felony methamphetamine delivery and possession charges, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and driving with a suspended license. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 541-776-4497 or email [email protected]. By Sanne Specht MailTribune.com By Sanne Specht Posted Mar. 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 9, 2012 at 12:11 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... 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