Judge OKs bail for woman after she describes alleged sex abuse by Portland jail deputy

A Multnomah County judge allowed a woman to post bail after hearing testimony that she was one of two people

allegedly abused by a now-indicted Multnomah County

sheriff’s deputy.

In a rare direct plea for release, Sadie J. King testified for 90 minutes Friday — describing a personal history of trauma, addiction and physical and emotional abuse.

“I do make mistakes when I’m on drugs,” King told Circuit Judge Christopher Ramras. “I have a support system to change my life. I have the drive to change my life. I need a little bit of help.”

King’s testimony concluded with her account of alleged abuse by Edwin Diaz, a 54-year-old former jail deputy who is charged with first-degree custodial sexual misconduct against King, among 24 other charges. Prosecutors allege he sexually assaulted her and another woman.

While The Oregonian/OregonLive does not typically name alleged victims in sex crime cases, King, 34, said she wanted to be identified.

King took the unusual step of taking the stand even though she faces charges in an unrelated first-degree armed robbery case that could bring up to five years in prison if convicted.

King said she wanted to bring attention to her mistreatment while in custody.

Ramras said her testimony went “far afield” from what he could legally consider during a preventative detention hearing, where a judge decides if there is clear evidence that a person poses an ongoing risk to public safety.

Ramras said he wasn’t considering the Diaz case or other allegations made about her treatment by jailers in Multnomah County or Clackamas County, where she was transferred after raising concerns about retaliation.

“I don’t doubt that you’ve experienced incredible trauma in your life,” Ramras said. “I also don’t doubt that you have caused trauma over an 18-year criminal history.”

Ramras set bail at $10,000 — meaning King must post $1,000 to be released under Oregon law — and allowed her to be released to a residential treatment program through Volunteers of America.

King didn’t post bail immediately.

During her testimony, King said she was being held in administrative segregation at the Multnomah County Detention Center in September 2024. Diaz allegedly started writing her letters and granting favors — including letting her out of her cell for more than the allotted hour a day.

Diaz promised to help her get a new ID, and to drive her to recovery meetings, once she was out of custody, King testified.

She said she was cleaning a “corner room” in the cellblock when Diaz suddenly entered and sexually assaulted her.

Diaz is on unpaid administrative leave from his job, The Oregonian/OregonLive previously reported, and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Prosecutor Branden Flowers called for the judge to deny bail and keep King behind bars on the robbery charge. She allegedly let a gunman into an apartment who then robbed the people inside, according to court records.

Defense attorney Rayza Goldsmith noted that King had never been offered a residential treatment bed before and had a strong support system, including from her husband and mother.

There was no evidence that King had acted violently during the alleged robbery, she said.

—Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083,

zsparling@oregonian.com

or

@pdxzane

.

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