Detectives widened their inquiry after arresting an Oregon registered nurse accused of repeatedly abusing a medically fragile young child.
OREGON CITY, Ore. — Detectives investigating an Oregon registered nurse accused of physically abusing a medically fragile young child are seeking information connected to his work with other vulnerable patients in health care settings.
Oregon City police said 33-year-old Devante Jermaine Hamilton has worked in various health care environments and with vulnerable patients. Investigators said there could be additional victims or other people with information that could assist the investigation. Police have not announced evidence confirming additional victims, and their request for information does not establish that other abuse occurred.
Hamilton was arrested Sept. 24 and booked into the Clackamas County Jail on charges of first-degree criminal mistreatment, third-degree assault, harassment and menacing. Police accuse him of physically abusing a young child on numerous occasions over several months while working as the child’s in-home caregiver. The charges remain allegations and have not been proven in court.
The investigation began Sept. 18, when Oregon City police and the Oregon Department of Human Services received a report involving suspicious injuries to the child. Authorities said the child has several complex medical conditions requiring an in-home caregiver, placing significant responsibility on the medical professional working inside the family’s home.
Prosecutors provided additional details during Hamilton’s court appearance. Deputy District Attorney Alexander Hayes said the child has 18 preexisting medical conditions, including cerebral palsy and respiratory failure, and depends on a ventilator. Hamilton had been entrusted with providing care in the family’s home Monday through Thursday, according to the prosecutor’s account.
The child’s parents began noticing bruising around the child’s eyes in May or June, prosecutors said. After taking the child to Oregon Health & Science University, the parents were advised to monitor the care being provided. They installed cameras in the nursery, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the cameras later recorded alleged mistreatment after another bruise was discovered on the child’s face in September. Hayes told the court that recordings from Sept. 15 through Sept. 17 showed multiple incidents. During one alleged episode described in court, the child’s tracheostomy tube became disconnected.
Hayes also told the court that Hamilton admitted to the alleged assaults during questioning. The prosecutor said Hamilton attributed his actions to frustration involving problems in his personal life. Police have not publicly released the complete interview, and the available reports did not include a response from Hamilton or an attorney representing him.
The child’s parents said their reliance on in-home nursing care grew out of serious medical needs. In a statement, they said their child had spent almost a year in a hospital after being born extremely premature. During that time, they developed trust in the nurses and other medical professionals caring for their child.
After the child returned home, the family continued to rely on credentialed health care workers because of the child’s medical complexity. The parents said they were speaking publicly in part because medically vulnerable children may be unable to describe mistreatment themselves. They also encouraged families who believe they may have relevant information to contact investigators.
Police are asking people with information related to Hamilton or the investigation to contact the Oregon City Police Tip Line at 503-905-3505 and reference case No. 26-018495. Hamilton was being held on $500,000 bail, and a judge ordered him to have no contact with children. Authorities had not announced additional alleged victims as of Sunday.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 27, 2026.