Union County man indicted on multiple sex abuse charges
A 45-year-old Elgin man was served with an indictment warrant while already in the Union County Jail, on sex abuse charges tied to alleged offenses in 2018 and 2019.
A 45-year-old Elgin man was served with an active Union County indictment warrant while already lodged in the Union County Jail, putting multiple sex abuse charges on a court calendar that now reaches into August. Joseph Leonard Ainsworth was contacted by a Union County Sheriff’s Office deputy at about 9:20 a.m. on Monday, June 22.
The warrant, issued June 17, 2026, listed one count of sexual abuse in the first degree and two counts of sexual abuse in the third degree. The first-degree count involves a victim under 14, and the third-degree counts involve a victim under 18. The alleged offenses date to March 1, 2018, and August 11, 2019.
Under Oregon law, sexual abuse in the first degree is a Class B felony. Sexual abuse in the third degree covers sexual contact with a person who does not consent or is incapable of consent because of being under 18, and it is treated as one of the state’s sex crimes.
As of June 26, Ainsworth was still listed on the Union County Jail roster under inmate number IN202600294, booked May 6, 2026, at 12:50 p.m. The jail roster listed the sex-abuse-related charges already entered, including two counts tied to ORS 163.415 and one count tied to ORS 163.427, with bail set at $20,000.
A plea hearing was scheduled for August 11, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. in Union County Circuit Court, which serves as Oregon’s 10th Judicial District alongside Wallowa County. The courthouse is at 1105 K Ave. in La Grande.
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