SALEM MAN ARRESTED IN CHILD SEX ABUSE CASE
Salem Police Department Salem, Ore. — A Salem man is in custody in Illinois on child sex abuse charges stemming from an incident earlier this month at a northeast Salem business. Jason Patrick Mikel, age 28, was arrested as part of an investigation into the sexual abuse of a small child at a variety store in the 2700 block of Lancaster DR NE on the evening of April 1, 2024. The child’s mother reported that while shopping, she lost sight of her daughter and found the three-year-old in Mikel’s arms. The mother confronted the unknown suspect, who put the child down and fled the store. Through a forensic interview conducted by Liberty House , a child abuse assessment center, Salem Police Violent Crimes Unit detectives learned the child had been harmed in the encounter. Investigators identified Mikel as the suspect and presented their findings to a Marion County Grand Jury on April 19. Mikel was indicted on the following charges: Attempted unlawful sexual penetration, first-degree Sex abu