Library Groper Gets 120 Days In Jail

PORTLAND, OR — For groping a woman's vagina whilst she was trying to study at a library on the Cascade Campus of Portland Community College in November 2016, 55-year-old Kevin Lavin Taylor was sentenced this week in a Multnomah County court to 120 days in jail.

Taylor pleaded not guilty to charges of sex abuse and harassment, but evidence at trial sealed his fate, according to the Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney who prosecuted the case, Ryan Solomon.

In security footage taken at the library Nov. 1, 2016, Taylor can be seen sitting down next to the victim in a small study cubicle, leaning back in his chair while scooting closer to her, and spreading his legs wide so his leg touched the victim's.

The victim in the case reportedly tried to move away from Taylor without any complaint, but Taylor did not get the hint.

Moving closer, Taylor reached out and placed his hand on the woman's clothed thigh. He then moved his hand up her thigh and grabbed hold of the woman's crotch.

Surprised and angry, the woman slammed her books, told Taylor to leave her alone and walked away.

During the woman's egress, Taylor said she didn't have to go, court documents show, but the victim did not stop.

Taylor left the library shortly afterward as well.

When the investigation began, police officials could not immediately identify Taylor.

Working with public safety officials at Portland Community College (PCC), Portland Police Bureau Detective Michael Bledsoe sent the surveillance images of Taylor to other Portland officers and was eventually able to positively identify Taylor's name and birth date with help from a confidential informant.

Bledsoe, with a sure ID of the suspect, then obtained a search warrant to track Taylor's cell phone ping history — which put him at the library on the day of the crime. Taylor was arrested a short time later.

As Bledsoe continued his investigation and shared a news release of Taylor's initial arrest for the PCC incident, another Portland officer recalled a cold case from 2015 that sounded rather familiar.

According to Multnomah County court records, a woman previously filed a compliant that "she had been groped by an unknown black man with corn row hair" while watching Mad Max at a Portland theater.

Bledsoe visited the theater and spoke with the same man who was still the manager in 2017. The manager reportedly remembered the incident, noting the suspect was someone who visited the theater regularly, though he hadn't been seen in some time.

Bledsoe then visited the victim from the theater case and learned she was watching Mad Max in a relatively empty theater when an unknown man sat two seats away from her. Watching the film, the woman said she was surprised when the man reached out and touched her thigh, adding that she got up and moved another two seats away.

The man left the theater shortly afterward.

The woman was unable to identify Taylor two years after the incident, but the manager reportedly recognized him and singled him out of a photo array with five other individuals.

Taylor's attorney argued that the theater case and PCC library case should be tried separately based on insufficient credibility with regard to the way in which Bledsoe obtained a positive ID from the theater manager — again noting that the victim could not ID Taylor at all.

Ultimately, Taylor was acquitted of the additional charge from the 2015 incident.

Nevertheless, Taylor's conviction for the library incident stood.

“This successful conviction highlights the good work done by Public Safety personnel in responding to reported incidents on campus, properly preserving evidence and maintaining good working relationships with local law enforcement and the District Attorney’s office,” said PCC Director of Public Safety Derrick Foxworth. “This case also demonstrated the important coordination between Public Safety and the Office of Equity & Inclusion and the Dean of Student Development Office at Cascade Campus.”

Taylor is required to turn himself in to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office to begin serving his sentence no later than Aug. 1. After which he must serve at least 90 days of the full 120-day sentence without question.

Taylor will have until June 13, 2020, to complete 160 hours of court-mandated community service. If he does not complete the community service on time, he'll be required to serve out the remaining 30 days. Taylor is also not allowed to enter any PCC property during his five-year probation.

In addition to his community service, jail sentence, and probation, Taylor must register as a sex offender and participate in any court-recommended mental health evaluations and treatments.

Image via Shutterstock