Oregon Department of Justice

Former judge pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his conduct towards three women on probation and a police dispatcher

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger announced today that a former Lebanon municipal judge has pleaded guilty to two counts of official misconduct, one count of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of sexual harassment.

Larry Kenneth Houchin must spend a month in jail, register as a sex offender and surrender his license to practice law as a result of the plea.

"We must hold our public officials to a high standard," said Attorney General Kroger.

Three of the victims are women who the judge had supervised in his court. Houchin abused his position to victimize them. He also sexually harassed a Lebanon Police Department dispatcher.

The case was investigated by the Oregon Department of Justice's Criminal Justice Division. The Criminal Justice Division investigates and prosecutes public corruption, complex drug trafficking, violent crime and the sexual exploitation of children.

Assistant Attorney General Marc Weinstein and Senior Assistant Attorney General Cheryl A. Pellegrini prosecuted this case.

Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department's mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.