Department fires policeman investigated in sex crimes.

Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard

A Eugene police officer accused of coercing women into sex acts while on duty has been fired from the department.

Roger Eugene Magana, 40, of Eugene, was fired Thursday at the end of a lengthy internal review process, said Lauren Chouinard, the city's human resources director.

The criminal investigation into the allegations against the former officer continues, Sgt. Scott McKee said.

The case is expected to go before a Lane County grand jury for potential criminal indictment by the end of the month, police said.

Neither Magana nor his attorney Brian Barnes could be reached after business hours Tuesday. Barnes has said in the past that his client is innocent of the allegations, that he is the victim of a department smear campaign and that he ultimately will be exonerated.

Magana joined the department in March 1995. It was his first job as a law enforcement officer.

Few details have been released about the allegations against the former officer. The department began its investigation June 10 when a woman reported that Magana had made inappropriate sexual contact with her. Interim police Chief Thad Buchanan said last month that investigators had identified several additional women who described on-duty sexual contact with Magana.

A second officer accused of using his position to gain sexual favors from women remained on paid administrative leave Tuesday, pending the outcome of a similar internal review, Chouinard said.

Officer Juan Francisco Lara, 29, has been with the department since January 2000. He pleaded not guilty last month in Lane County Circuit Court to 10 criminal charges including official misconduct, sex abuse, coercion, and public indecency. He currently is free on bail.

The grand jury indictment alleges that in April, Lara coerced a 40-year-old Eugene woman into performing oral sex by threatening to use his position as a police officer to harm her some way if she refused.

The indictment also refers to two separate occasions between June 26 and July 4 when Lara allegedly forced a 41-year-old Eugene woman to engage in oral sex against her will. He also is accused of engaging in oral sex in a public place sometime between Aug. 5, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2002.

Lara's attorney, Dan Koenig, has said that any contact between his client and the women was consensual.