A Portland man has pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the sex trafficking of three minors. Eric Lamont Harris, 50, entered his plea on the fourth day of his jury trial. He admitted guilt to one count of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, three counts of sex trafficking of a child, three counts of sex trafficking of a child while benefitting from participation in a venture, and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
Court documents show that Harris began trafficking a 15-year-old girl who was reported missing and was a ward of the state in spring 2022. In June 2022, he started trafficking a second victim, aged 16. The following month, Harris transported both girls from Portland to Kennewick, Washington, where he had booked a hotel room for them to engage in prostitution. Authorities recovered both victims after the parents of one reported her missing.
Harris met his third victim—a 17-year-old—in June 2022 and began trafficking her two months later. All three minors lived with Harris during this period and gave him proceeds from their activities. He arranged hotel rooms for commercial sex dates, managed online escort advertisements featuring the victims, transported them to appointments, and collected thousands of dollars generated through these acts.
“Sex trafficking is a most despicable crime that, unfortunately, happens here in Oregon. With our state and federal partners, we will stand up on behalf of the victims and do everything within our power to root out this evil and protect our children,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford.
“This guilty plea is a first step in providing some form of closure to the victims and their loved ones,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “This defendant’s systematic approach to sexually exploiting minors for financial gain and satisfaction demonstrates a level of depravity that warrants the full extent of the punishment legally possible.”
A federal grand jury indicted Harris on September 16, 2025 on eight counts including transportation with intent to engage in prostitution and sexual exploitation charges.
Harris could face up to life imprisonment as well as fines up to $250,000 and lifetime supervised release when sentenced on January 29, 2026.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: FBI; Portland Police Bureau; Kennewick Police Department; and Medford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlotte Kelley and Robert Trisotto are prosecuting.
The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating resources across federal, state, and local levels. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Victims or those with information about human trafficking are encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733; tips can also be submitted via their website.
