Man known as the ‘I-5 flasher’ in Seattle 15 years ago arrested in Oregon
Porter mug shot (Washington Department of Corrections)
Posted For: Emailed to TNBD
A man from Oregon who previously faced public indecency cases in Washington state has been arrested again after an incident reported along Interstate 5, authorities said.
Court records say Oregon State Police responded on March 18 after receiving a report that a man was masturbating while driving near the Woodburn exit. The woman who contacted police said she noticed the vehicle because it had both a Seahawks logo and a University of Washington emblem displayed near the license plate.
According to her report, as she passed the vehicle she saw the driver holding a tablet that showed an image of a nude woman. The woman told investigators that the driver, later identified as 56-year-old Charles MacDonald Porter, pulled his vehicle alongside hers, lowered his window, and began masturbating in view of her.
The woman, Katrina Newberry, later described the encounter in an interview with KATU News. She said she tried to increase her speed to get away, but the man accelerated to keep pace. When she slowed down, he slowed as well. She said she felt trapped in the left lane of the freeway with no immediate way to escape until the man eventually exited the highway.
A state trooper later stopped Porter. During the traffic stop, Porter allowed the trooper to search his tablet, where the officer found an image of a nude woman.
Porter appeared in court on March 19 and was charged with public indecency. He posted bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on March 26.
Newberry said the experience has continued to affect her emotionally. She explained that at first she thought she could brush it off, even joking about it briefly, but while describing the incident to her husband later it began to sink in and she felt overwhelmed.
Court documents show the charge was elevated to a felony because of Porter’s past record involving similar offenses.
Officials with the Washington Department of Corrections confirmed Porter had previously been on probation from May 2010 through May 2012 for indecent exposure.
Records also indicate Porter was convicted of indecent exposure in Texas in 1999 and again in 2000. One of those cases involved a child.
A spokesperson for the Oregon State Police said the case has been forwarded to the District Attorney’s office for review. The agency added that it would not provide additional comment while the investigation remains active.
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