Former National Guardsman facing prison for Richland molestation, rape

A former Oregon National Guardsman is facing prison for molesting a Richland boy following a fight-viewing party about five years ago.

Tyrone M. Morris, 45, entered a “Barr” plea in Benton County Superior Court to charges of second-degree child molestation and third-degree rape.

The “Barr” plea means that Morris doesn’t believe he committed the crime, but wanted to take advantage of the offer.

A boy and a woman at the home provided similar stories of Morris, who was active-duty National Guard at the time, touching them inappropriately when they were sleeping.

Morris has claimed he doesn’t have any memory of the crimes after taking a prescription stimulant, according to a Department of Corrections report to the court.

It’s an explanation that frustrated one of the boy’s parents, who sees it as him trying to avoid blame for his actions.

“My innocent child, who was sleeping comfortably in his bedroom, was touched inappropriately by Tyrone Morris,” the statement said. “This is a tragedy the people involved will never forget, and the repercussions are unmeasurable.”

Morris faces between two years and seven months and three years and six months in prison when he sentenced, court documents said. The two sides agreed to recommend a three-year sentence to the judge.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 31. Molestation and rape

Morris, who had a career in the National Guard that included three tours in Iraq, had been invited to watch a UFC fight at a Richland home on Jan. 18, 2020 with several other people, court documents said.

He told the Department of Corrections that he took two pills of phentermine, a prescription stimulant. He said he didn’t remember anything after that.

It’s unclear how or when he got the pills. He claimed that someone provided them, one of the people at the home reported finding a bag of pills in his pants.

Morris and other guests were allowed to stay the night because they had been drinking.

Sometime after they went to bed at 2 a.m., Morris went into two bedrooms. It’s not clear which room he went into first.

One of his victims, an adult woman, told investigators that she woke up to find Morris naked and touching her inappropriately. She began screaming for her husband for help. She, her husband and daughter rushed out of the house.

He also entered the room of a sleeping boy and inappropriately touched him. The child was able to fight his way free and went to where his parents were sleeping, court documents said.

Morris then knocked on the bedroom door while dressed only in his underwear and behaving strangely, court documents said.

The child’s father said Morris appeared “out of it” and was yelling at people what weren’t there and alternated between trying to fight the father and making sexual advances, court documents said.

Meanwhile, the mother took the boy out for breakfast to get them out of the house. She knew Morris was active-duty National Guard and called his supervisor, who drove from Umatilla to pick him up.