Medford, Ore. — On Monday, a former volunteer Ashland High School swim coach was back in a Jackson County courtroom. Camren Mitzel pleaded guilty to trying to reconnect with a girl he was convicted last year of sexually abusing.
In 2013 Mitzel, now 25-years-old, was convicted of two counts of 2nd degree sex abuse with a 14-year-old girl. It’s a felony charge.
Mitzel was sentenced to five years probation for that crime.
Then on Monday, he was back in court and the still underage girl he tried to contact a second time, got up and spoke directly to Camren Mitzel and the courtroom.
NBC5 News has chosen not to show her face or mention her name in an effort to keep her identity private.
“Camren is a manipulator and a liar and it is his way or no way,” said the now 16-year-old victim.
However, she didn’t have to go it alone in court. She had family by her side.
“It’s really hard because she thinks it’s her fault,” began the girl’s mother. NBC5 News has also decided to withhold her name to keep the young victim’s identity as confidential as possible.
“We don’t know what to do for my baby girl. I don’t know. She’s in counseling. I don’t know how to help her,” said the victim’s mom as her voice broke.
Mitzel also spoke at his sentencing.
“I messed up. I don’t believe I’m a criminal,” he said.
However Judge Lorenzo Mejia expressed his own opinion shortly after reading Mitzel’s sentence.
“I really did take offense to your statement that I’m not a criminal. This is very criminal behavior,” said Mejia.
Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Terry Smith-Norton said after Mitzel was convicted last year of having sex with the underage girl, he took off to Georgia. That move violated his probation.
Then Smith-Norton said Mitzel began talking to the victim again through social media and texting, even convincing her to join him in Georgia.
Police caught up with the girl en route at an Arizona bus station.
“Camren got me to get on a bus and go across country by telling me if I didn’t go, then he was going to come to me and hurt anyone who got in his way,” said the 16-year-old victim.
“Camren uses women and he used me,” she said.
Now her mom has a warning to other parents.
“Pay attention. Really pay attention especially to your little girls,” said the victim’s mother.
Meantime, John Hamilton, Mitzel’s attorney asked for a more lenient sentence because he said Mitzel had never been to prison for any other crimes before.
“Other than these allegations before the court right now, he has no criminal history,” said Hamilton.
Judge Mejia sentenced Mitzel to 22 months for online sexual corruption in the 2nd degree, a felony. Mitzel received an additional 18 months for his probation violation related to his previous sex abuse case. Mitzel will spend a total of 40 months in prison. Once he is released, he will be required to register as a sex offender, something Smith-Norton said he did not do properly when he was convicted of sex abuse in 2013.
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