A deputy in the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office faces criminal charges after allegations surfaced recently that he posted sexually explicit videos of himself on social media.
David Richard Mills, 36, was charged with a dozen misdemeanor counts on Dec. 14, including first- and second-degree official misconduct, public indecency, second-degree disorderly conduct and abuse of venerated objects.
Mills Posted a Video of Himself Masturbating into Another Person's Water Bottle, Then Let Person Unknowingly Ingest It
The charges, according to a YCSO release, stem from a complaint from a community member in September "over online content they believed to depict an employee of the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office" engaging in sexual acts in public places, to wit the sheriff's office and other county property.
Court records allege that Mills posted video online of him masturbating in a public building, exposing his genitals while wearing his uniform, masturbating in a patrol car, exposing his genitals in the sheriff's office and a January 2022 incident where he allegedly masturbated into the water bottle of another person with the intent of that person unknowingly drinking it, then posted video of the incident online for his own financial benefit and in order to harm the other person.
Mills posted the explicit content on his OnlyFans - a subscription-based platform that allows creators to charge subscribers a fee to access their content.
Mills was Previously 'Deputy of the Year,' Now Placed on Administrative Leave
According to this Facebook post on the Yamhill County Sheriff Department, Mills had previously been named 2021 DUI Enforcement Officer of the Year by the Oregon DUI Task Force.
After consulting with the Yamhill County district attorney's office, the YCSO determined that Mills' acts were potentially illegal and a criminal investigation was necessary. The investigation was conducted by the Washington County Sherriff's Office and then reviewed by the Benton County district attorney.
The outside agencies were brought on to conduct the investigation due to YCSO's close working relationship with the Yamhill County district attorney's office. The investigation, the YCSO release said, determined that the social media posts were publicly accessible and potentially violated the internal policies of the sheriff's office and the county. Soon after, Mills was placed on administrative leave as the investigation ensued.
The investigation was completed relatively quickly, the sheriff's office said, despite the need to garner and serve search warrants on "large digital content platforms headquartered outside Oregon." The YCSO is conducting an internal investigation as well.
"While the filing of criminal charges is a very serious consideration for a law enforcement agency, we must be thorough and accurate in our response, follow the appropriate due process steps, and follow the applicable steps as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement," the release said.
