CORRECTION APPENDED BELOW

A 28-year-old behavioral therapist on Monday was found guilty of sexually assaulting the 13-year-old autistic boy she was working with following a 10-day trial in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The jury of seven men and five women returned the verdict after about two hours of deliberations, finding Abigail Minjung Kim guilty of second-degree rape, second-degree sodomy and six counts of first-degree sexual abuse. A person commits second-degree rape when sexual intercourse occurs with someone under 14 years of age, under state law.

Kim, standing beside her defense lawyer, looked straight ahead and showed little emotion as the verdict was read and each of the jurors were polled. The verdict was unanimous.

Kim had an “inappropriate, intentional, voluntary relationship’’ with the boy, who is on the autism spectrum and suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, prosecutor Melissa Marrero said during closing arguments.

The sexual abuse occurred in October and November 2017 when he was barely 13 during Kim’s visits to his home when she worked for Footprints Behavioral Intervention. They often met in his room, behind closed doors, according to the prosecutor.

The boy testified before a grand jury, telling jurors he had “humped’’ Kim multiple times, that they hugged and kissed and became boyfriend and girlfriend. He testified that on their last day together they had sex. He also told grand jurors that Kim never told him to stop and never pushed him off, the prosecutor said.

Internet searches that investigators found on Kim’s cellphone corroborated the boy’s testimony, the prosecutor argued.

Her cellphone revealed web searches for “15 years younger boyfriend’’ when Kim was 28 and the boy was 13. Other searches included: “How to deal with an autistic boyfriend, ‘’ “Can a teenage boy become attached to the girl he lost his virginity to?,’’ “Can a minor be charged with sexual harassment, “ “legal proof of child sexual abuse in the absence of physical evidence’’ and “sexy women’s panties,’’ according to the prosecutor.

Kim considered the teenager her boyfriend, Marrero contended.

“He was particularly vulnerable because of his disability,’’ Marrero said. “She knew exactly what his needs were and she exploited those.’’

Defense lawyer Adam Dean argued that Kim, a 95-pound, soft-spoken and mild-mannered Korean immigrant, couldn’t control the boy and he sexually attacked her.

She feared reporting the attacks until November 2017. In an email to a supervisor, she reported that the 13-year-old had been sexually abusing her since October 2017. “And it’s my fault I did not report it at the beginning and the intensity has increased,’’ she wrote, according to court testimony.

Kim was wrong for not having reported the behavior right away, her lawyer said. “She failed miserably at that,’’ he said.

Dean argued that the state, though, failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she had any intent to sexually assault the boy. What occurred happened without her consent, Dean argued. Kim sat for a three-hour interview with a Gresham police detective on Nov. 13, 2017, and confided with her sister, her lawyer said.

A defense expert also testified, telling jurors that Korean Americans like Kim have been taught not to challenge authority or rock the boat. Kim also is the primary caretaker for her sister, who has autism and Down syndrome. She lives with her mother and sister.

Dean pointed out that Kim conducted other internet searches for “sexual abuse’’ and “sexual harassment.’’

“The state can’t have it both ways,’’ Dean argued.

The prosecutor countered that Kim only reported being sexually attacked after learning that the teenager’s mother, unaware of the sexual encounters between her son and Kim, requested that Kim no longer be assigned to help her son. Until then, Kim had been asking to work more hours with the boy, Marrero told jurors.

As part of their verdicts, the jury also found for each count that the victim in the case was vulnerable and Kim violated her professional responsibilities, which could enhance her sentence.

Kim was a mandatory reporter of child abuse and had ethical obligations prohibiting sexual conduct with a client, the prosecutor said. Kim had a master’s degree in teaching with a specialization in applied behavioral analysis. She was fired from her job in the fall of 2017.

After the verdict was announced, Multnomah County Judge David F. Rees briefly recessed to address the jurors in the jury room. Kim, her lawyer and the prosecutor remained silent in the courtroom as laughter could be heard in the adjoining jury room. It’s not clear what prompted the laughter, but it raised eyebrows among some waiting in the courtroom.

A short time later, when the judge returned, Marrero asked that Kim be taken into custody immediately, citing concerns that she might flee before sentencing, considering the convictions. Kim has family in California and also in Korea, the prosecutor noted.

Marrero also told the court she intends to ask for consecutive sentencing for the eight-count conviction.

Dean said Kim is on electronic monitoring and hasn’t violated the conditions of her pretrial release. The judge asked if Kim had a passport and was told she had already turned it over to the county’s Close Street Supervision office.

The judge allowed Kim to remain out of custody. Sentencing is set for May 24 at 1:30 p.m.

CORRECTION: The story reflects Abigail Minjung Kim’s conviction for second-degree rape.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

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