OREGON MAN FACES FEDERAL CHARGES AFTER ABDUCTING AND SEXUALLY ABUSING A CANADIAN CHILD

U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore.—An indictment was unsealed in federal court today charging a Gladstone, Oregon man with abducting and sexually abusing a Canadian child he met online.

On September 20, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Noah Madrano, 41, with traveling in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, sexually exploiting a child, transporting a child interstate with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and possessing child pornography.

According to court documents and proceedings, Madrano met a child online whom he sexually exploited for more than a year. He then traveled to Canada to meet the child in person, took her to a hotel room, sexually abused her, and videorecorded his abuse. Following this incident, he returned to the U.S.

Madrano later returned to Canada, abducted the child from outside her school, and took her to another hotel room. At the hotel, Madrano made the child dye her hair and wear a hooded sweatshirt to disguise her appearance. Madrano abused the child for several days. After briefly returning to the U.S., Madrano again returned to Canada, picked up the child and drove her back to the U.S. in the trunk of his vehicle. Madrano brought the child to a hotel room in Oregon where he continued abusing her.

In the early morning hours of July 2, 2022, special agents from FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) and officers from the Oregon City Police Department made entry into Madrano’s hotel room and found him inside with the minor. Madrano was arrested and indicted on state and federal charges. The child was taken into protective custody and returned to her parents in Canada.

Madrano made his first appearance in federal court today. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and a five-day jury trial was scheduled to begin on December 13, 2022. Madrano remains in custody pending a detention hearing to be held on November 2, 2022.

If convicted, Madrano faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum.

This case was investigated by FBI Portland’s CETF with assistance from the Oregon City Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Madrano’s federal case is being prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. His state case is being prosecuted by Adrienne Chin-Perez, Deputy District Attorney for the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations—many of them undercover—in coordination with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering underage victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at www.fbi.gov/tips.