Albany aquarium shop owner arrested on sexual abuse charges

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Story Published: Jun 19, 2009 at 10:12 PM PST

This is a press release courtesy of Albany Police

On Thursday, June 18, 2009, at about 4:30 p.m., Albany Police Detectives took 64-year old Albany resident, Ralph Hawthorne, into custody on 3 counts of Sex Abuse in the Third Degree.

Ralph Hawthorne was taken into custody at his business, Amazing Aquarium, located at 1237 SE 9th Avenue following the execution of a search warrant at the location. Ralph Hawthorne was cited and released from the Linn County Jail on the Sex Abuse charges.

The investigation began on June 11, 2009, after an adult female reported that she had been subjected to sexual contact by Roger Hawthorne when she was a patron at Amazing Aquarium.

During the week of June 15, 2009, a second adult female reported that she also had been subjected to sexual contact by Roger Hawthorne when she was a patron at Amazing Aquarium.

Following this, a female police officer, working under cover, posed as a patron at Amazing Aquarium. During her time in the business she reported that she too was subjected to sexual contact by Roger Hawthorne.

Investigators have reason to believe that additional women may have been touched inappropriately while at Amazing Aquarium. Anyone with any information at all is asked to contact Albany Police Detectives at 541-917-7686.

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