I worked on a really difficult story last week. It was difficult for multiple reasons — because the story was about something that had happened in the past and because it was an emotional story that involved victims of sexual abuse.
Children ride down the street on NE Flagg Street, the place where the Adam Lee Brown sexual abuse cases happened in 1992. Most of the street is now filled with people who did not live there in the 90s and who were not aware of the attacks that happened there, which happened to children who resided in homes on Flagg Street. Katie Currid/The Oregonian
Adam Lee Brown resided at a house at 286 NE Flagg St. during his sexual abuse rampage in 1992. Most of his victims also lived on Flagg Street, and would have to drive by his house everyday, as it sits at the beginning of the road. Katie Currid/The Oregonian
Daniela Liles, 22, is a survivor from the sexual attacks of Adam Lee Brown that occured in 1992. Liles was only 2 years old at the time of the attacks, where he not only abused her but unsuccessfully attempted to infect her with the HIV virus. She still deals with depression and anxiety as a result. She is empowered today though, hoping to pursue a nursing degree to help others. Katie Currid/The Oregonian
Much of the city of Roseburg had forgotten about Adam Lee Brown and his attacks on young children in the 90s. Many citizens were reminded of the attacks through news outlets when he resurfaced again on Sunday after allegedly attacked a young boy in a Portland-area Wendy's and stabbing him. Katie Currid/The Oregonian
Roseburg, Oregon
A reporter, Kimberly A.C. Wilson, and I went to Roseburg to find out a few things. We wanted to figure out what the town thought about Brown — if it had been surprising that he had been re-arrested, if they remembered his original crimes, etc. We also wanted to talk to those involved in his life — his father, the victims, the police, etc. Sadly, most people only knew about his attacks because of recent news reports, and there were not many people who wanted to talk, except for Daniela.
Roseburg has mostly forgotten the Adam Lee Brown case of 1992, where Brown molested young children at a day care on NE Flagg St. and attempted to infect them with AIDS. Brown returned to Roseburg after serving 11 years of his prison sentence and lived downtown where most of the city seemed to be unaware that he was there. Katie Currid/The Oregonian
Roseburg, Oregon at night
One of the most important places that Kimberly and I went was Flagg Street. Brown had lived on this street, and apparently all of his victims also lived there — they had all been abused at a daycare on the street or his home. Only two people still remained on this dead-end street that lived there when the original case happened, one of whom is now senile and the other who did not want to speak to us. But I found some children who had just moved in a month previously, unaware of what had happened there in the past. That was the picture that ran, and is probably the best one that sums up the entire situation.
At the end of this day, I was emotionally drained. I took the landscape pictures at night and was just creeped out the entire time, with all of the facts of the story repeating in my mind. I think I probably could’ve found more to photograph, but was just so disturbed and shaken. When I got back to my room, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit was on. Needless to say, I wasn’t in the mood to watch it. I felt a bit silly for being so bothered by everything — by a memory of something that happened 20 years ago — but I supposed that just makes me human. I’m glad I had the experience to work on this story, especially with such a talented writer as Kimberly Wilson, and know it will give me a better perspective and knowledge to do similar, important stories in the future.