Inset: Cedric Valdez (Hillsboro Police Department). Background: The Target in Hillsboro, Ore., where cops say Cedric Valdez was caught and arrested for his "school project" scheme (Google Maps).
A 23-year-old Oregon man pretended to be a "reflexology student" and claimed he needed help with a "school project" while targeting more than 100 victims, including minors, in a twisted scheme, police say.
Cedric Valdez is accused of approaching women at "large retail stores, parking lots, and near storefronts in shopping centers" in an attempt to gain access to their feet, according to a Hillsboro Police Department press release.
Court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate KGW say Valdez would tell his victims that he was a "reflexology student" who was conducting a "project" for his school that involved meeting strangers and inspecting their lower extremities — but his "project" was actually due to a foot fetish he has.
The documents allege that Valdez admitted to investigators and prosecutors that he was "sexually attracted" to feet and lied about the project in order to access as many limbs as possible. He allegedly admitted to carrying out the scheme for five years, with prosecutors saying he had more than 100 victims ranging in age from 14 to 47.
Over that time period, Valdez is accused of massaging his victims' feet — and in many cases smelling, kissing and even licking them. He would allegedly ask the women if he could follow them to their car, where he then took off their shoes and began rubbing their feet — even taking photos and videos that he uploaded to pornography websites, according to prosecutors.
Valdez allegedly told investigators that for many of the interactions he was accompanied by a juvenile. Court records viewed by Law&Crime show that Valdez is facing 41 counts of third-degree sexual abuse, sexual harassment and practicing massage without a license.
"We want to thank the brave women who came forward to report the incidents to police," the Hillsboro Police Department says. "Multiple victims have been identified in this case, but it is believed there are more who have not yet come forward."
At least 13 of Valdez's alleged victims are said to be minors. Police say he was arrested at one of his foot-hunting grounds, Target, in January and his bail was set last week at $10,000. Court records show that he was still locked up as of Friday and is scheduled to go on trial in August.
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