MEDFORD, OR — A deportation officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was arrested last week on sodomy and incest charges. Blake Villagomez Northway, 55, reportedly worked at the ICE office in Medford.
Northway is being held at Jackson County Jail on $1 million bail. He is charged with one count of incest and 10 counts of first degree sodomy, a class A felony and Measure 11 crime in Oregon with a mandatory minimum sentence of more than eight years if convicted.
The abuse allegedly committed by Northway occurred between March 2009 and March 2013, with the latest incident cited in court documents occurring Sept. 10, 2018.
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According to a statement from ICE, Northway has been relieved of all authority and placed on leave.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold its officers to the highest standards of professional conduct and does not tolerate those who violate the law,” said ICE spokeswoman Tanya Roman in a statement. “ICE will continue to cooperate until this case has been resolved.”
ICE did not immediately respond to Patch’s inquiry except to say, “The entire ICE public affairs team is out of the office the week of Sept. 17 attending a training seminar,” and they are not expected to return until Monday, Sept. 24, according to ICE Press Secretary Jennifer Elzea.
It is worth noting, however, the charges against Northway are not related to his employment with ICE.
Image via Jackson County Sheriff’s Office