A Portland teenager has been sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing a man he met on a dating app, who was accused of sending him child sex abuse videos. Elijah Cruz Valenzuela, who was 19 at the time of the incident, stabbed Joshua Field, 46, in his downtown Portland apartment on August 11, 2025.
Valenzuela turned himself in to authorities following the incident, stating, "I stabbed a pedophile," according to body-worn camera footage. He told police that he had met Field on the dating app Sniffles, where Field allegedly sent him videos of child sexual abuse. Valenzuela claimed the app's moderators quickly deleted the videos. He also reported that Field had invited him over to watch videos and inquired about his sexual interests.
Valenzuela, who had no prior criminal record, told the court that he was a victim of childhood sexual assault. He stated his intention was only to assault Field physically, not to use a weapon, but he ended up grabbing a knife. He pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree assault and first-degree burglary.
Field, the victim, had previously been investigated for possessing child sex abuse material. Records indicate that in 2021, two men who met Field on the dating app Grindr alleged he had shown them similar videos. That investigation was closed due to insufficient evidence. Nine months after the Portland incident, Field was charged in California with offenses related to the possession of child sex abuse videos. Field's attorney denied the allegations made by Valenzuela and California prosecutors.