PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a mother inside her own home while she was holding her infant daughter and playing with her 3-year-old child.
Judson C. Defir, 43, entered the family's South Tabor neighborhood residence through the front door last March as the victim's husband worked outside in the yard, according to court documents. The woman told police she initially thought the footsteps ascending the stairs belonged to her spouse — until she heard a male voice that wasn't his.
"She heard a male voice say, 'Honey, I'm here.' She realized it was not her husband's voice and then saw an unknown male at the threshold of the bedroom door," according to a Portland Police arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
Background
The attack unfolded inside the family's two-story home on March 14, when Defir allegedly walked into the residence uninvited while the mother was in an upstairs bedroom with her two young children. The woman was holding her 10-month-old baby and playing with her 3-year-old daughter when she heard someone enter through the front door below.
Police said Defir approached the mother as she cradled her infant, grabbing her and pulling her from the room across a hallway into a guest bedroom. According to the affidavit, he forced her onto the bed "by her hips" and pressed down on her back while attempting to sexually assault her.
"The male grabbed [the mother] while she was holding the baby and pulled her out of the room, across the hallway and into the guest bedroom," the arrest document stated. "Once in the bedroom, the male forced [the mother] onto the bed by her hips."
The Investigation
The victim told investigators Defir smelled of unwashed body odor and was wearing a black hoodie with dark-colored pants. She described him as having messy hair, a disheveled beard, and damaged teeth.
"[The mother] was face-down on the bed and held the baby in her arms," the affidavit noted. "The pressure from the male was pressing on her back and causing her to press on the baby."
Terrified of injuring her child, the woman asked Defir if she could place the infant in a crib located in another bedroom. He permitted her to do so before she returned to barricade herself inside a room with her 3-year-old, using a bookshelf to block the entrance.
"The male attempted to force his way into the room," according to police. "[The mother] walked onto the balcony and started yelling for help, alerting her husband."
Defir fled before authorities arrived. Portland Police found the mother "sobbing uncontrollably" when they responded to the scene.
"She was yelling out repeatedly that Defir 'tried to rape her,'" according to officers' accounts.
The Charges
Defir pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse in connection with the attack. He entered no contest pleas to charges of kidnapping, attempted rape, attempted sexual abuse, and public indecency.
Prosecutors revealed that Defir had allegedly attacked at least three other women before targeting this victim — including a woman inside a nearby church where he allegedly touched her inappropriately just minutes earlier. Police said he also grabbed two additional women who were walking through the neighborhood.
"Responding officers determined that minutes before this attack [on the mother], the suspect entered a nearby church where he touched a woman inappropriately before fleeing," Portland police stated in a press release.
According to The Oregonian, Defir had been arrested in 2024 for screaming at two girls at a park and lying naked in a driveway while intoxicated. He admitted to smoking methamphetamine before the March attack.
"This incident was horrifying and extremely sobering for him," defense attorney Elizabeth Wolozin said at sentencing. "Mr. Defir is extremely motivated to never touch methamphetamine again."
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez described the case as a nightmare scenario during Defir's sentencing hearing.
Key Takeaways
- Judson C. Defir, 43, received a 22-year prison sentence for attacking a Portland mother holding her infant while her husband worked outside
- He allegedly told the victim 'Honey, I'm here' before grabbing her and attempting to sexually assault her
- The woman was able to place her baby in a crib and barricade herself with her 3-year-old until she could escape to a balcony for help
- Defir pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and entered no contest pleas to kidnapping, attempted rape, attempted sexual abuse, and public indecency
- Police linked him to at least three other assaults on women occurring shortly before this attack
What's Next
Defir has begun serving his 22-year sentence in Oregon state custody. His defense team indicated he plans to address his methamphetamine addiction during incarceration. No additional court dates have been scheduled as the case has reached its conclusion with sentencing.
"I wish I could change the past, but I can't," Defir told the court at sentencing. "I can only change the future and do better in the future."