Pendleton Man Found Guilty of Abusive Sexual Contact on the Umatilla Indian Reservation

PORTLAND, Ore. – On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, a federal jury in Portland found Shane Britton, 43, of Pendleton, Oregon, guilty of abusive sexual contact.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in June 2016, Britton was staying at a residence shared by the victim and her mother on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The victim and her mother are both enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Britton is not a tribal member.

During his stay, Britton subjected the victim to a series of unwanted and progressively more invasive physical encounters. In a recorded interview, Britton initially denied the allegation of abusive sexual contact, but later admitted he inappropriately touched the victim. Britton eventually told law enforcement officers that “in no way shape or form did [the victim] do anything wrong or provoke” his abusive conduct.

Britton faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon.

The FBI investigated this case in partnership with the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Jennifer Martin and Natalie Wight, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.