A2 • Friday, January 4, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
Former Seaside surgeon
Transportation District grows
acquitted of sex abuse charges South County presence
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
A jury acquitted a former
Seaside surgeon on Dec. 19
of sex abuse charges follow-
ing a six-day trial.
Robert John Gustafson,
49, now of North Dakota,
was accused in 2015 of sex-
ually abusing a girl while he
lived in Seaside. He faced
10 counts of fi rst-degree sex
abuse alleging that, between
2009 and 2011, he repeat-
edly touched a girl under 14.
Now 18, the young
woman testifi ed for fi ve
hours during the trial. A
video of a 2015 interview
with the girl, soon after she
disclosedthe alleged abuse
to her mother, was also
played at trial. She asserted
that the defendant had
touched her inappropriately.
“I didn’t know what it
was at the time,” she said
during the 2015 interview.
“It was uncomfortable. I
didn’t like it.”
Arguments from Chief
Deputy District Attorney
Ron Brown included a letter
written by the girl around
the time of the alleged
abuse, the fact that the girl
was allegedly cutting her-
self as a result of the abuse
and the manner in which
Gustafson allegedly tried to
hide the abuse.
In July, Judge Cin-
dee Matyas granted part
of a defense motion to
exclude evidence regard-
ing Gustafson’s past sexual
tendencies.
“Most of the time, sexual
abuse is committed in secret.
It’s committed against chil-
dren, particularly, because
children are easy to manipu-
late,” Brown said to the jury
during closing arguments.
“The younger the person is,
the harder it is for a person
to tell, I submit.”
Gustafson also testifi ed
during the trial. He denied
all of the accusations.
“What I was trying to do
is fi gure out how she could
have misapprehended that,”
Gustafson said. “It wasn’t
until later that all of the, sort
of, contradictions and stuff
became clear, that there was
some amount of deception.”
Paul Hood, Gustafson’s
Portland-based
attorney,
pointed to a number of
minor inconsistencies in
witness testimony and the
logic of the allegations. He
also said that a civil case
involving the girl’s mother
and Gustafson, which was
fi led soon before the abuse
allegations were brought
to light, might have been a
factor.
“I’m not trying to tell
you that any one of these
things, by itself, is a slam
dunk,” Hood said. “Is her
testimony so reliable that
you can reach that incred-
ibly powerful conclusion?
And the answer to that is
‘no.’”
Moments after the ver-
dict was read, Hood placed
his arm around Gustafson,
while the young woman and
some of her family mem-
bers looked down and qui-
etly started to cry.
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Sunset Empire Trans-
portation District will seek to
expand their profi le with a
new move from the Seaside
Outlet Mall to 39 North Hol-
laday, the former home of the
Seaside Downtown Develop-
ment Association.
For the past three years,
the district has been renting
kiosk offi ce space in front
of Rue 21, Sunset Empire
Transit District Executive
Director Jeff Hazen said
Wednesday.
The transportation kiosk
is staffed weekdays from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
With the lease coming
up, the district sought a new
location.
“Where we’re going to
be on Holladay, that’s going
to have good food traffi c,”
Hazen said. “We see the
potential of reaching out to
the tourists here. If they do
come by car, leave they can
leave their at the hotel. On
R.J. Marx
New location of the Sunset Empire Transportation District in
Seaside.
the weekends during the
summer, the streetcar will run
down there, and we can give
good information on that.”
Staffi ng is yet to be deter-
mined, he said, with fi ve-day
a week service in the off-sea-
son and seven-day coverage
in the summer months.
The offi ce plans to offer
bus tickets, passes, schedules
and information. Monthly
passes, which had previ-
ously been sold by bus driv-
ers, must be purchased at the
Seaside location or the Asto-
ria transit center.
“It’s very cumbersome
for bus drivers to sell a bus
pass,” Hazen said. “They
need to focus on safety and
keeping the bus on time as
much as possible.”
Along with Seaside, Can-
non Beach is a traditionally
strong market for the district,
he said. “Cannon Beach is
very, very supportive of pub-
lic transit, obviously with all
the parking issues, they actu-
ally help pay for the service
and we expand our service in
the summertime. It’s a good
partnership.”
Dec. 24
with intent to use; and resisting
arrest.
SEASIDE POLICE LOG
Dec. 14
4:26 a.m., Bus stop and Seaside
Cinema: Subjects using the bus
stop as a bedroom were advised
of an ordinance about Littering
Near a Waterway; they decided
to move on.
8:17 a.m., 12th Avenue and
Seaside Cinema: Transients
using the bus stop as a shelter
were advised of complaints
against them and ordered to
clean up their mess and move
along.
4:28 a.m., 700 block 15th
Avenue: A subject is arrested
and charged with unlawful
possession of a weapon with
intent to use.
Dec. 19
8:20 a.m., 1300 block S.
Roosevelt: Police respond to a
report of a dog running loose in
a parking lot. Police are unable
to locate.
Dec. 16
11 p.m., Cemetery: A person
who told police they were
collecting fi rewood from fallen
branches was advised of the
cemetery hours and advised to
leave.
Dec. 17
Noon: 12th and Necanicum:
A couple dancing in a public
restroom to blaring music were
asked to leave.
5:06 p.m., 3400 block Highway
101: A dog impounded by
Gearhart police is transferred to
the kennel in Seaside.
12:47 p.m., 200 block S. Holl-
aday: A man asking restaurant
customers to please buy him
food is trespassed from the
establishment.
Dec. 18
Dec. 15
4:51 p.m., Mill Ponds and Public
Works: A subject is arrested
on a warrant and also charged
with giving false information to
police.
10:02 a.m., 2000 block S.
Downing: Report of a small dog
running loose. Police are unable
to locate.
10:14 a.m., Second and Neca-
nicum: Caller reports subject
using a drone in violation of
city ordinance. Offi cer contacts
drone operator and advises
them of the requirement to
check in with the Public Works
Director due to proximity to the
city’s municipal airport. Subject
packs up and leaves with drone.
11:34 a.m., Ocean Shore: Teens
are advised of high surf danger
after being reported swimming.
Dec. 20
12:41 a.m., 10th Avenue: A
burglary is reported.
10:39 a.m., 800 block 10th
Avenue: A death is reported.
Dec. 21
7:43 p.m., 1300 block Second
Street: Caller says her roommate
is telling her to get out; an hour
later, police return to advise the
roommate (male) of the eviction
process.
Dec. 22
4;10 p.m., 800 block Neca-
nicum: A found debit card is
turned in to police.
Dec. 23
8:37 a.m., Police headquarters:
A sex off ender comes in to
register.
1:5o p.m., 800 block Avenue
M: Police assist with a child acci-
dentally locked in an apartment.
12:50 a.m., 2100 block Lewis
and Clark: A subject is charged
with criminal trespass and
burglary.
4:46 p.m., Avenue S bridge: A
subject reported sleeping under
the bridge is advised he is in a
no-trespassing zone.
Dec. 25
6:29 a.m., 1000 block S. Down-
ing: A homeless subject wearing
a red coat is reported sitting in
a chair by the laundry room of a
residential complex; subject said
they were looking for a covered
place in case of rain. They are
advised to leave.
Dec. 27
4:44 a.m., 12th Avenue Bridge:
A person fl agged down a police
offi cer to report a female who
said they intended to self harm.
Police were unable to locate.
1:38 p.m., Mill Ponds: A burnt
trash can located in a forested
area known to be used by
transients is removed by Public
Works.
Dec. 26
5:39 p.m., 400 block Avenue
P: A person is charged with
criminal mistreatment in the
fi rst degree as well as theft in
the fi rst degree.
7:04 p.m., 500 block Beach
Drive: A person is arrested and
charged with menacing; un-
lawful possession of a weapon
9:21 p.m., Avenue U: A person
is arrested and charged with
driving under the infl uence of
intoxicants.
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