Albert Helm Jr - Repeat Sex Offender

Sarah Tofte of the Human Rights Watch says that 25% of all sex offenders
re-offend within 15 years

A man who is a registered sex offender in Washington, California and Oregon will spend the next 121/2 years in prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old Lane County girl.

Albert Helm Jr., 33, pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse in a deal with prosecutors that dismissed seven other charges, according to court records.

The victim’s mother took Helm into her home near Florence after he was released from a Washington prison and told her he was trying to kick a drug habit, Deputy Lane County District Attorney Erik Hasselman said in court.

Helm, who served prison time in California for sexually abusing an 8-year-old, lied about his past when he met the victim’s mother. Although he told her he was a registered sex offender, he minimized his Washington crime, saying it occurred when he was a teenager, Hasselman said. Helm never told the woman about his California crime, the prosecutor said.

In a statement to Lane County Circuit Judge Maurice Merten, the victim’s mother described the betrayal she felt after opening her heart and her home to help Helm break a drug addiction. She also described the guilt she feels for putting her child in harm’s way.

In a letter to the judge, the victim described her loathing for Helm and said he should never be freed.

It is The Register-Guard’s policy to not identify victims of sex crimes.

Helm said nothing in court beyond what was required for him to make his plea deal. His defense lawyer, Jeff Johnson, said Helm admitted his crimes and agreed to the sentence.

The plea deal falls under Measure 11, the state’s voter-approved sentencing statute, and will require Helm to serve every day of the 12½-year term with no possibility for early releas