Even as he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, John Rideout remained defiant — arguing legal points with the judge, accusing the women of fabricating their assaults and dismissing the guilty verdict against him as a “stage production.”
He stated, “The Devil has won here today,” and requested a shorter sentence. “I lost, so now I want a little justice in this.”
Judge Thomas Hart sentenced Rideout Monday to 25 years imprisonment. Rideout will not be eligible to receive early release or other programs.
Hart stated to Rideout, 65, that he would be a very elderly man before he sees the outside of the corrections section.
Just days after Rideout was found guilty of sodomy by a jury that deliberated for less than an hour, the sentence was delivered.
More:Defendant in 1978 Salem marital rape case found guilty of sodomy
In 1978, Rideout was arrested for allegedly raping Greta, his wife, in front their 2-year-old daughter.
He was the first American man to be charged with raping his wife while they were still living together. This story attracted a lot of media attention. Reporters from all over the world flooded the downtown Salem courtroom for the six-day trial. A jury exonerated him.
Rideout was again arrested 40 years later for sexually attacking two women.
It is the Statesman Journal’s policy to not print the names of sexual assault survivors, but both women, Sheila Moxley and Teresa Hern, agreed to be identified.
In 2017, a Marion County jury found Rideout guilty in first-degree rape, and first degree sodomy. and the judge sentenced him to 16 years and eight months in prison. Moxley, Rideout’s acquaintance, and Hern who once dated Rideout both testified during trial.
Rideout was granted a fresh trial on Thursday, as the sodomy verdict was not unanimous. In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such convictions were unconstitutional.
Split-jury verdicts for felonies such as rape and manslaughter have been allowed in Oregon for decades. These verdicts were deemed unjust by the Supreme Court, which sent many Oregon cases back to court, including Rideout’s.
This has led to the retrying years-old cases as well as victims being required to testify in court.
Vindication for the survivors
Hern stated that she was anxious leading up to the second trial. Hern was forced to testify in front the jury.
She felt some relief after the verdict was read, despite the trauma.
Hern stated that she hoped that by returning… she would have prevented other women from suffering similar pains ever again.
Hart said Hart was impressed by their courage and confidence. Hart thanked them for returning to court.
He said, “I’m sorry that you had to go through it again.”
Hart sentenced Rideout to 25 years — a longer prison term than the 16-year sentence given following the 2017 trial. Because Moxley’s rape and Hern’s sexual assault were part of a pattern criminal behavior, Hart was allowed to serve a longer sentence.
Moxley stated that Hern and she struggle daily with the effects of sexual assaults. Although she was not required to testify in the second trial, Moxley came to support Hern’s cause and gave an impact statement at Rideout’s sentencing.
“You’re still a sexual predator, an rapist and a monster. Rideout was told by her that this would never change. “I am not a victim anymore; I am a survivor.”
Hart gave Rideout his sentence. After that, the two embraced and sobbed. Rideout was taken off in handcuffs.
“All the way back to 1978”
Brendan Murphy, the prosecutor, argued for the long sentence. He stated that Rideout had a history of harming and targeting women.
Monday’s testimony by Murphy stated that Rideout’s actions can be traced “all of the way back to 1978”, when he didn’t face any legal repercussions for his rape of his wife. Murphy stated that Rideout discovered that consent laws and women’s rights to say “no”, did not apply to his behavior.
Greta was accused by the defense of being promiscuous. She also claimed she was a liar, vindictive, and a liar during her 1978 trial. Her sexual history was examined and cited as evidence that she wasn’t raped.
Greta’s injuries are indicative of “forced intimacy,” according to a doctor. Police stated that Greta suffered from a black eye. Rideout was also reported to have hit her. Numerous witnesses also reported the attack.
Rideout was not acquitted despite the evidence.
While the conviction in 2017 reopened the case, it provided some relief and vindication. Greta said.
She said, “I knew it would happen again.” “I’m glad that (the survivors) came forward,” she said.
Greta was faced with a marriage that was caught up in a cycle domestic and sexual violence. She moved out of Oregon with her daughter following the 1978 trial, and cut all contact with Rideout.
Rideout laughed at Greta’s statements during Monday’s sentencing, saying that he told Greta to run to save his daughter from some unknown danger.
When she stated that she “knew” it would happen again, she really meant to say “I knew he would get setup,” Rideout explained, adding, “I love you Greta.”
Rideout looked at the women as he addressed the judge before his attorney told him to move.
Murphy requested a sentence of 25-years. Rideout, Murphy said, was a “poster boy” and that is why the long sentence exists.
Murphy said that “the days when Mr. Rideout tells victims what they meant to say are gone.”
Whitney Woodworth is a reporter who covers economic development, business and city hall for the Statesman Journal. Email Whitney Woodworth for questions, comments, and news tips wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.comCall 503-910-66616 to learn more or follow us on Twitter @wmwoodworth.
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