This image was removed due to legal reasons. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer was arrested this week on 10 felony charges of sodomy and one charge of incest, Oregon State Police officials said on Saturday. Advertisement State police detectives arrested Blake V. Northway, 55, of Medford, OR, last Thursday following a joint investigation between the Oregon State Police and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold its officers to the highest standards of professional conduct and does not tolerate those who violate the law,” ICE’s Public Affairs Officer Tanya Roman said in a statement. “ICE will continue to cooperate until this case has been resolved.” Northway, who was taken to the Jackson County Jail, was placed on leave at his job pending the investigation. Authorities said the charges are not related to Northway’s position at ICE . His bond was set at $1 million. Authorities did not release additional information about what led to Northway’s arrest. The arrest was announced the same day that authorities in Texas arrested a border patrol agent suspected of being a serial killer and charged him with killing four women near the border city of Laredo. A fifth victim managed to escape and flag down a state trooper.<doc-sep>A deportation agent for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been arrested on first-degree charges of sodomy, as well as one count of incest, Oregon State Police announced on Saturday. Blake Northway, the accused, had been employed by the agency's Medford office. The 55-year-old was arrested on Thursday, after a joint investigation between ICE and Oregon police. Authorities said that Northway has been "relieved of all authority" and ICE has placed him on leave until the investigation concludes, Oregon Live reported. Jail records show that the deportation officer faces 10 charges of sodomy and one of incest, according to The Daily Beast. However, authorities have also stated that the charges are not related to his work with ICE. OSP Detectives arrested 55-year-old Blake V. Northway of Medford on multiple counts of Sodomy.https://t.co/k205DN29av — Andryanna Sheppard (@AndryannaNW12) September 16, 2018 Under Oregonian law, first-degree sodomy charges can be brought against an individual who allegedly forced a victim into "deviate sexual intercourse" or if the victim is under 12 years of age, mentally challenged or under 16 and a close relative. While sodomy laws in some states were previously used to target LGBTQ individuals who had consensual sexual relations, Oregon's current laws specifically address cases of sexual assault and sex acts with minors. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold its officers to the highest standards of professional conduct and does not tolerate those who violate the law. ICE will continue to cooperate until this case has been resolved," ICE Public Affairs Officer Tanya Roman said in an official statement, local CBS affiliate News 10 reported. News of Northway's arrest has come the same weekend that a U.S. Border Patrol agent was detained on suspicion of killing four women and abducting another who escaped in Texas. Authorities arrested Juan David Ortiz on Saturday after a woman who he tried to abduct escaped, Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said during a news conference. Investigators have "very strong evidence" Ortiz is responsible for the murder of four women, officials stated. But authorities did not discuss how the women were killed or what kind of evidence they had to prove the agent's guilt. In early August, a worker at a detention facility for immigrant children in Arizona was also arrested after allegedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl under his care. The Phoenix Police Department said the 14-year-old's roommate, who is also a minor, witnessed Fernando Magaz Negrete, 32, enter their bedroom at the detention facility in Glendale and sexually assault the teenager.<doc-sep>
Crime & Safety Oregon ICE Officer Arrested On Sodomy, Incest Charges Blake Northway, a deportation officer in Medford, has been relieved of authority and placed on leave, according to ICE officials. Reply MEDFORD, OR — A deportation officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was arrested last week on sodomy and incest charges. Blake Villagomez Northway, 55, reportedly worked at the ICE office in Medford. Northway is being held at Jackson County Jail on $1 million bail. He is charged with one count of incest and 10 counts of first degree sodomy, a class A felony and Measure 11 crime in Oregon with a mandatory minimum sentence of more than eight years if convicted. The abuse allegedly committed by Northway occurred between March 2009 and March 2013, with the latest incident cited in court documents occurring Sept. 10, 2018. (Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Oregon Patch) According to a statement from ICE, Northway has been relieved of all authority and placed on leave. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold its officers to the highest standards of professional conduct and does not tolerate those who violate the law," said ICE spokeswoman Tanya Roman in a statement. "ICE will continue to cooperate until this case has been resolved." ICE did not immediately respond to Patch's inquiry except to say, "The entire ICE public affairs team is out of the office the week of Sept. 17 attending a training seminar," and they are not expected to return until Monday, Sept. 24, according to ICE Press Secretary Jennifer Elzea. It is worth noting, however, the charges against Northway are not related to his employment with ICE.