Man Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Children Dies In Prison

ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) – Officials say a southern Oregon man convicted of sexually abusing three children has died in prison.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 80-year-old Leo Barton was lodged at Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.

The Oregon State Police has been notified and a medical examiner will determine a cause of death, which is standard practice.

Barton was convicted in 2018 of five counts of first-degree sex abuse and single counts of sodomy and unlawful sexual penetration, according to court records.

His earliest release date was in 2075.

The News-Review in Roseburg reported in 2018 that Barton and his attorney maintained his innocence and claimed one victim touched him first.

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