{"id":2949,"date":"2026-05-29T18:01:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=2949"},"modified":"2026-05-29T18:01:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:01:23","slug":"man-accused-of-cutting-tent-kidnapping-two-women-camping-near-public-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=2949","title":{"rendered":"Man accused of cutting tent, kidnapping two women camping near public trail"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

FILE – A tent at a campsite in Oregon (Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div> <\/div>

An Oregon sex offender is facing federal charges after reportedly kidnapping two women from their tent, tying them up and threatening to sexually assault them.\u00a0<\/p>

Read more ICE agent charged in north Minneapolis shooting arrested in Texas<\/a><\/p>

According to federal prosecutors, it happened in Tillamook County, Oregon, and investigators believe there may be other victims.\u00a0<\/p>

Suspect bound victims, covered their eyes<\/h2>
<\/div>

What we know:<\/p>

Federal prosecutors in Oregon said the two women were camping along a public hiking trail around midnight on July 4, 2024, when Gene Arnold McLenithan, 58, of Salem, Oregon, cut open their tent and kidnapped them.\u00a0<\/p>

McLenithan, who didn\u2019t know the victims, allegedly tied them up, covered their eyes and eventually told the women he planned to sexually assault them.\u00a0<\/p>

According to\u00a0The Oregonian<\/u><\/i>, he told the women he had a bag of razor-sharp knives and said “it\u2019s not worth” their lives after he threatened to assault them.\u00a0<\/p>

RELATED: <\/strong>85-year-old hailed as hero after foiling alleged kidnapping attempt, suspect arrested<\/strong><\/p>

Read more 1 student dead in Uvalde, another injured after bucket truck incident<\/a><\/p>

What we don’t know:<\/p>

It\u2019s unclear whether any sort of sexual assault took place, or why it took so long for McLenithan to be arrested and charged. Prosecutors also haven\u2019t said why they believe there could be other victims. Court records in McLenithan\u2019s current criminal case are sealed, which means police reports and other details are hidden from public view.\u00a0<\/p>

What’s next:<\/p>

McLenithan has been charged with kidnapping and attempted abusive sexual contact. He\u2019s being held without bond pending further court appearances. If convicted, prosecutors say he could get a maximum life sentence for kidnapping and up to 10 years in prison for attempted abusive sexual contact.\u00a0<\/p>

READ MORE: <\/strong>Rafter vanishes in Oregon wilderness, survives five-day ordeal before helicopter rescue<\/strong><\/p>

Criminal history<\/h2>

The backstory:<\/p>

McLenitahan was arrested in connection with a series of sexual assaults in Tillamook County, Oregon, before being arrested again in 1999 for forcing his way into a home and sexually assaulting a woman, The Oregonian reported. He pleaded guilty and was convicted of two counts of sodomy and burglary.\u00a0<\/p>

What you can do:<\/p>

Anyone with information on McLenithan is asked to call the FBI at 503-224-4181 or submit a tip online.\u00a0<\/p>

Read more Former Texas correctional officer pleads guilty to conspiring to assault an inmate<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two women were camping along a public trail in Oregon when a man cut open their tent, kidnapped them and threatened to sexually assault them. Prosecutors believe there could be other victims.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,220],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-oregon"],"yoast_head":"\nMan accused of cutting tent, kidnapping two women camping near public trail - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=2949\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Man accused of cutting tent, kidnapping two women camping near public trail - Houston Moving Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Two women were camping along a public trail in Oregon when a man cut open their tent, kidnapped them and threatened to sexually assault them. 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