'Fornicating' Portland Officer Pleads Guilty To Misconduct

PORTLAND, OR — A Portland police officer on Thursday pleaded guilty to unspecified official misconduct, a misdemeanor, forfeiting his title and Department of Public Safety Standards and Training certification, according to police officials.

Christian Robert Berge, 46, admitted he engaged in conduct outside his official duties in order to "obtain a benefit" while on-duty as an officer between Aug. 12, 2015, and May 3, 2017. Official court documents do not specify what exactly Berge did, but his guilty plea resulted in 18 months bench probation, 120 hours of community service for a charity, and a conviction fee along with his resignation from the bureau and decertification as an Oregon public safety official.

OregonLive's Maxine Bernstein on Thursday reported Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney Don Rees as saying, "When (Berge) was supposed to be serving and protecting, he was fornicating" with a woman he met whilst responding to a noise complaint.

Berge had been a Portland officer for 10 years, officials said.

In a statement released Friday, Portland Police Bureau Chief Danielle Outlaw said the bureau takes seriously any allegations of sexual misconduct against its officers.

"This investigation followed all of our internal protocols, resulting in the criminal charge, plea, and resignation of the officer," Outlaw said. "Internally and externally, this officer was held accountable for his actions. While an incident such as this can damage the public trust in police officers, we will continue to work hard in the community to build relationships and enhance community trust of Portland Police officers."

Despite Berge's resignation, the Police Review Board will also review the case following the conclusion of the bureau's official investigation.

Image via Portland Police Bureau