PSU professor hit with child porn charges

Portland State professor Niles Lehman was arrested in February and charged with 35 counts of encouraging child sex abuse. 29 of the counts are for the more serious B felony which typically involves paying for, or distributing child porn, and 6 counts are for the possession of child pornography.

Both OregonLive and Willamette Weekly reported that Lehman was on paid administrative leave, leading to outcry among some concerned citizens. However, paid administrative leave is required by law for university employees who are charged, but not yet convicted of crimes.

Lehman was released in March after posting $25,000, or 10% of his $250,000 bail. He was ordered to wear a GPS monitor, surrender his passport, stay off the internet, and avoid children and places where they are likely to congregate.

If Lehman is convicted of any crime, he will likely face disciplinary action from Portland State, most likely resulting in his firing. It is a common misconception that tenured professors cannot be fired. Although there are often significant barriers to firing professors, these barriers usually exist to preserve the independence of higher education from outside interests and influence.

Before his arrest, Lehman was widely regarded as a top Oregon scientist. In 2018 he was awarded the OAS outstanding scientist award presented at Linfield College. The allegations against him span the same time frame, from May 2017 to September 2018.

During his release interview, Lehman told court staff that he had a Ph.D. and “sometimes drove for DoorDash, Lyft, and Postmates.” He did not inform them of his primary job as a PSU professor, leading some to suggest that he had lied. However, lack of information, or providing incomplete information to the police or courts is not necessarily illegal unless specifically asked.

According to current court documents, a settlement conference is scheduled for May 31st, 2019. It is not guaranteed that Lehman will face prison if convicted because the most serious charges against him are not Measure 11 crimes and therefore have no mandatory minimums.