Police arrested a Wrangell man Jan. 12 on felony warrants from Oregon, alleging serious sexual crimes.

Wrangell police officers went to the home of Robert Davidson Sr., 67, at 9:30 a.m., accompanied by an Alaska Wildlife Trooper and a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer.

The arrest came after a long investigation. The Cottage Grove Police Department in Oregon first contacted Wrangell Sgt. Damon Roher about Davidson in 2023. Roher interviewed Davidson and began tracking the case at that time.

“Sgt. Roher had been waiting for the warrants to come through for a while,” said Wrangell Police Chief Gene Meek. “I’m not sure what the delay was.”

Davidson is charged with first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse. Both charges are high-level felonies in Oregon involving sexual acts against children or people who cannot give consent.

Meek said Davidson has lived in Wrangell recently. However, the suspect has a history of traveling back and forth between Oregon and Wrangell.

The charges fall under an Oregon law known as Measure 11. That law was passed in 1994 and sets strict mandatory minimum prison sentences for violent crimes. These sentences are served “day-for-day,” meaning a person cannot get out of prison early for good behavior. They are not eligible for any earned credits to reduce their time.

First-degree sexual abuse is punishable in Oregon by a mandatory minimum prison sentence of more than six years. The sodomy charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of more than eight years.

Davidson was in the Wrangell jail as of Monday, Jan. 19.

Meek confirmed that Davidson has been made aware of the charges against him and is waiting to speak with a lawyer. He must decide if he will waive extradition to return to Oregon voluntarily.

At the same time, officials are waiting for the Alaska governor’s office to authorize extradition to Oregon for Davidson to face trial.

No one from the Cottage Grove Police Department was available to discuss the case with the Sentinel last week.