Sex offender's move to Klamath Falls neighborhood delayed

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A sex offender who was scheduled to move into a Klamath Falls neighborhood is in now behind bars.

44-year-old Christopher Micah Benson was expected to move into a residence at 2148 Applegate Avenue on October 23.

In 2011, Christopher Micah Benson was convicted of a sex abuse crime committed in Klamath Falls in 2010. He served his prison sentence and is now on post-prison supervision for the crime.

A notice to the public was issued when the 44-year-old high-risk sex offender planned to move to a residence at 2148 Applegate Avenue in Klamath Falls on October 23.

On October 20, an official with Klamath County Community Corrections (KCCC) said a “suspend and detain” warrant was issued by the Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision at KCCC’s request. For now, Benson will be held at the Klamath County Jail while KCCC conducts an investigation into alleged parole violations. “There is not a new projected release date for Mr. Benson at the time,” the official wrote.

Criminal history

Oregon’s sex offender database shows Benson has previously convicted of numerous other crimes, including sex abuse in the first degree, sex abuse in the third degree and third degree rape. His prior victims were females with ages ranging from 8 to 19-year-old.

Benson is labeled as a Level 3 sex offender. The State of Oregon considers Level 3 offenders as having a high risk to re-offend and requiring the widest range of public notification.

Conditions and restrictions of Benson’s release include the following, according to the Oregon Sex Offender Inquiry System:

Prohibited from having contact with any persons under the age of 18 years, restricted from places where minors are likely to congregate (i.e. libraries, playgrounds, school grounds, arcades), no possession of pornography, complete intensive sex offender treatment program, random polygraph examinations, random searches of his residence, vehicle, person, and computer or electronic equipment, prohibited from forming relationships with individuals with minor children, prohibited from use or possession of alcohol or controlled substances except pursuant to a medical prescription, subject to curfew, geographical restrictions, and GPS monitoring.