A Portland man is facing serious sex-crime charges after a harrowing three-day ordeal involving a 15-year-old girl who reported that he had assaulted her before she managed to escape. Nicholas Matthew Tull, 23, has been charged with three counts of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, coercion, and luring a minor, according to court records.
Prosecutors allege that on December 3, Tull offered the teenager, who had run away from home, a place to stay in exchange for sex. Once she accepted, he reportedly began a pattern of abuse and rape that lasted for three days. The situation escalated when the girl, who had been living independently for about three weeks, found herself trapped in Tull’s apartment.
On December 6, the teenager was spotted in a distressed state at 10th Avenue and Jefferson Street in downtown Portland. Concerned bystanders called the police for a welfare check, leading officers to the scene. When they arrived, the girl disclosed that she had just escaped from Tull, whom she identified as her abuser. At the time, Tull was still in the Central Library, where the girl had initially met him.
Emergency responders transported the girl to a medical center for treatment and sexual-assault testing. During her examination, she provided law enforcement with further details about the assaults, illustrating the severity of her situation. She recounted that Tull had approached her outside the Central Library around closing time on December 3, and soon after she agreed to stay with him, he began to abuse her. Notably, when she disclosed her age, Tull allegedly told her that “no one has to know.”
According to court documents, Tull took her back to the Central Library three days later, which provided her with an opportunity to escape. While he was in the bathroom, she seized the moment to flee, leading her to seek help from authorities. The case has raised alarms about the safety of vulnerable youth in the community, particularly those who may be at risk of exploitation.
