Man accused of driving through Portland, OR parade is a registered sex offender
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The driver accused of charging into the crowded streets of the Grand Floral Parade route in a gray pickup truck and leading police on a brief chase through Northeast Portland on June 10 has a lengthy criminal history rife with traffic violations and sex crimes.
Portland Police Bureau spokesperson David Baer confirmed with KOIN 6 News that the suspect arrested following Saturday’s pursuit, 42-year-old Sidney Sean Mecham of Portland, is also a registered sex offender.
Court documents show that Mecham was first charged with multiple sex crimes in Multnomah County in 1996. While the nine sexual abuse charges filed against Mecham in 1996 were dismissed, he was ultimately found guilty of three counts of attempting to commit a Class A felony and was required to register as a sex offender in 1999.
Mecham was convicted of failing to report as a sex offender in 2009, 2010 and 2014, and was later convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Clatsop County in 2016.
Mecham has also faced various traffic cases in the past decade. Records show he was found guilty of driving without insurance in 2013. Then, in 2019, he was convicted of driving with a suspended license after failing to appear in court.
Following his arrest on Saturday, Mecham faces new charges of reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, attempt to elude, reckless driving and a separate hit-and-run charge. Mecham was also ticketed for driving with a suspended license, failing to obey a police officer and driving without insurance. Baer said that PPB is working with the District Attorney’s Office and plans to provide an update on the case as soon as it is presented to a grand jury.
Source: KOIN.com
