A 37-year-old man from Dallas, Oregon will spend the next 50 years in prison for sexually abusing a child under the age of 12, Polk County Circuit Judge Rafael A. Caso ruled Tuesday, July 21.

Philip James Mancuso received a 600-month sentence after Judge Caso found him guilty on July 13 of four counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and one count of incest.

The Salem Police Department was among four law enforcement agencies that investigated the case.

The sentence breaks down to 300 months on each of two sodomy counts, served consecutively. The remaining charges — 75 months on each sexual abuse count and 30 months on the incest count — run concurrently.

Judge Caso imposed the sentence under Oregon's Ballot Measure 11 and Jessica's Law, the state's mandatory minimum sentencing framework for sex crimes against children under 12.

Under those provisions, Mancuso cannot earn early release, sentence reduction, or parole.

If released, Mancuso must register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime period of post-prison supervision.

Investigation spanned two states

The investigation stretched across two states. The Dallas Police Department, Polk County Sheriff's Office, Salem Police Department, and Fairfield County (Ohio) Sheriff's Office all worked the case, according to the Polk County District Attorney's Office. The Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division and the Governor's Office of Extraditions also assisted.

The probe began in 2024 after an initial report to DHS Child Welfare authorities. A grand jury warrant was issued, and Polk County Sheriff's deputies located Mancuso in Ohio and returned him to Oregon to stand trial.

Polk County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen presented the case during a multi-day bench trial before Judge Caso.

After the guilty verdict, the Polk County District Attorney's Office said on July 14 that it "commends the victim and her family for their strength and courage throughout this process" and recognized the work of all four investigating agencies.

Mandatory minimums in Oregon

Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 11 in November 1994, establishing mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes against persons. Jessica's Law, signed in 2006, extended those minimums — up to 25 years per count — to sex offenses against children under 12.

Both laws prohibit parole and good-behavior sentence reductions, according to the Oregon Legislature's published guidance on Measure 11.

Anyone with information about child abuse or neglect can contact the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-7233.