PORTLAND, Ore. — A serial TriMet sex offender who was already behind bars this week is facing a new set of charges.
Jared Walter, 32, has been arrested 18 times in connection with vile acts aboard Portland-area public transportation.
He was last arrested Tuesday for allegedly putting his hand in a woman's pocket and touching her thigh while riding a MAX train on Monday, March 25.
New charges were filed early Friday morning against Walter, while he was at the Multnomah County Jail, for allegedly touching another woman inappropriately while on a MAX train. A judge set Walter's bail for the new charges at $100,000. His total bail between the two cases is now $109,000.
Portland police said the alleged abuse occurred on March 20. They did not offer specifics related to the alleged crime.
Walter is facing harassment, third-degree sex abuse and interfering with public transportation charges in both incidents.
Walter got 5 years probation in March 2018, but was arrested again four months later and four more times since then.
The judge gave Walter the maximum sentence allowed by the Oregon statute on these misdemeanor cases and they ran concurrent, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office.
Walter has been convicted of masturbating on buses and cutting women's hair.
TriMet spokeswoman Roberta Altstadt says they are working to determine whether they can ban Walter from TriMet for life. She issued the following statement after news of Walter's new charges:
Both of the recent allegations against Mr. Walter are concerning, as is his history of repeated offenses. TriMet is evaluating whether we can issue Walter a life-time exclusion. As he remains in jail and under a current 90-day exclusion, we will take our time to assure we have all the pertinent information from authorities on these recent cases and evaluate whether the alleged conduct may qualify for a life-time ban from the transit system. In August 2017, TriMet established the authority to issue an exclusion longer than 90 days and up to a lifetime exclusion, specifically based on Mr. Walter’s previous convictions and repeated offense. We are being very deliberate in determining our next steps and do not expect to make a final determination for several weeks due to Mr. Walter’s current incarceration and exclusion already in place.
Portland police believe there could be additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 503-962-7566.