After being arrested on first-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse charges Tuesday, a Silverton man is being held without bail at Marion County jail.
Christopher Gerig,
34, is accused of raping and assaulting a woman on Sunday. The woman, according to court records, was incapable of consent by reason of physical helplessness and mental incapacitation.
A probable cause statement filed in Marion County stated the following:
The victim was attending the same birthday party as Gerig. She told police she did not know Gerig, but he kept making advances toward her.
She told him she wasn’t interested, had a boyfriend and wanted him to leave her alone.
She fell asleep on the couch and awoke to Gerig touching her. She pushed him away, and her friend told him to get off the couch.
She awoke later in the morning to Gerig pulling down her pants and having sex with her. She pushed Gerig away, scrambled off the couch and went outside.
She contacted police. Silverton investigators called a witness who gave Gerig a ride home after the incident. The witnessed had asked Gerig if the victim had wanted to have sex.
Gerig said “not exactly,” but said he knew she wanted it.
The victim told police she never gave Gerig permission to touch her.
Gerig was previously arrested on rape and sex abuse charges in April 2016. He was acquitted of those charges in January.
Following his arrest by Silverton police, Gerig was arraigned on new rape charges Wednesday. He was ordered to have no contact with his victim, a different woman than the victim listed in the 2016 complaint.
Gerig, a registered nurse, was faced with the possible revocation of his license after the sexual assault charges surfaced in 2016.
The Oregon State Board of Nursing served Gerig with a notice of proposed revocation in July 2016 after they were notified of allegations that he sexually abused a woman.
According to the complaint, Gerig allegedly used his nursing education and knowledge to establish trust with a woman then planned a sexual encounter between himself and her, claiming it was a therapeutic exercise to help her recover from past trauma.
Board members said Gerig’s conduct was derogatory to the standards of nursing. They also alleged he failed to maintain professional boundaries and acted outside his scope as a registered nurse.
His nursing license is now expired, according to the board’s database.
Marion County Judge Rafael Caso ordered Gerig held without bail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 19.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at [email protected], call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
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