Convicted sex offender Gene Arnold McLenithan is being held without bond on federal charges after prosecutors say he cut into a camping tent along a public hiking trail in Oregon, kidnapped two women and threatened to sexually assault them.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, McLenithan, 58, of Salem, allegedly attacked the women around midnight on Jul. 4, 2024, while they were camping along a public hiking trail in Tillamook County.
Prosecutors say he did not know the victims and approached their tent in the dark before cutting it open and forcing them out, according to People.
Officials allege McLenithan bound the victims, covered their eyes and led them away from their campsite. At some point after the kidnapping, he allegedly told the women he planned to sexually assault them and warned them that resisting was "not worth" their lives while claiming he had a bag of razor‑sharp knives.
Federal prosecutors have charged McLenithan by criminal complaint with kidnapping and attempted abusive sexual contact.
He was arrested on May 28, 2026, nearly two years after the incident, and a federal magistrate judge ordered him detained pending further court appearances. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on the kidnapping charge and up to 10 years in prison for attempted abusive sexual contact, KTVU reported.
Authorities have not publicly detailed how the women escaped or were rescued, and court records in the current case are sealed, limiting access to police reports and other investigative documents.
Prosecutors say it is unclear whether any sexual assault occurred but emphasize that the alleged conduct meets the federal standard for the charges filed.
McLenithan is a registered sex offender with prior convictions in Oregon, including a 1999 case in which he forced his way into a home and sexually assaulted a woman. In that case, he pleaded guilty to sodomy and burglary charges tied to a series of sexual assaults in Tillamook County.
Investigators in the current case say they believe there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information about McLenithan to contact the FBI by phone or online tip, as per Fox5NY.
