Jeremy Christian Buzan
of Beaverton Oregon
solicited
a 12 year old child
“I will pay you ... join me in my seat for the night ... make it $300 ... I’d love to explore you”
2023 august 9th
on an amtrak train in
Rural Montana
On August 9, 2023, my family was riding an Amtrak train through rural Montana, headed to a family reunion in Portland. We'd boarded in the Midwest, two parents and several preteen and teenage kids, spread across two rows of seats.
On the second day, the kids and I were at a booth in the lounge car, watching the scenery and coloring. Our seats were about ten feet away, at the front of the next car, where my partner was asleep.
My 12-year-old daughter went back to her seat to grab a bottle of water. Waiting on her seat was a note addressed to "cute girl in 63 window."
the note
“Hi there.
I apologize for being so forward (and for the awful train—ride handwriting).
I thought you were spectacular from the moment I saw you, and I was wondering if you would entertain an unorthodox offer.
i will venmo or paypal you $250 - if you would be willing to join me in my seat for the night, bring your blanket, play some cards and mess around. if you’re not interested, throw this away.
if you are interested, email me at: danteclimbing@yahoo.com and I’ll send you my # and seat assignment.
if you’re game, I’d love to hang out + explore you. we can exchange photos first, if you like.
totally serious. and I’ll actually make it $300. —
-C.”
Written in distinctive handwriting, the note offered my daughter $250, then raised it to $300, for her company "for the night," and said he'd like to "explore" her.
She was 12. Tall for her age at 5'5", but unmistakably a child, with a baby face.
We looked up the email address. It led straight to an Instagram account, which has since been made private, and we recognized the man in the photos: a short, heavyset man with long red hair and a red beard who sat near the stairs in our car. My daughter remembered him smiling at her as she passed.
The Instagram account gave his name, Jeremy Buzan, and a matching Facebook profile placed him in Beaverton, a suburb of Portland, the train's final stop.
We went to the conductor. He confirmed that a passenger by that name was aboard, in the seat we'd pointed out. When he approached the man and said his name, the man confirmed it.
My daughter didn't hang back. Standing right in front of him, she pointed at the man and told the conductor what the note said herself. She understood exactly what it meant, and she was as offended by his audacity as anything.
At the next stop, Cut Bank, Montana, the man was removed from the train. He protested, but left after the conductor offered to explain the situation to local authorities. He was banned from Amtrak.
amtrak police
When we arrived in Portland the next day, I contacted Amtrak Police right away.
About a year later, the officer told us the prosecutor would not file charges. Because the incident happened in Montana, any charges fell under Montana law, and with no physical contact, assault charges weren't possible.
The prosecutor also felt they couldn't prove the note was meant for my daughter, or that it was an offer of money for sexual activity.
there would be no charges; no legal consequence.
who he is
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Together with his wife, Jeremy Christian Buzan ran a children’s climbing organization, Summits For Kids, for years.
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On May 14, 2019, Jeremy Christian Buzan was arrested for 4th degree assault, and 2 charges of harassment. he pled down to only the assault charge, and the harassment charges were dropped.
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Less than a month after leaving the letter for my child on an Amtrak, on September 1, 2023 Jeremy Christian Buzan was arrested for Felony Strangulation and 4th degree Assault. He pled guilty to, and was convicted of, the strangulation charge on September 25, 2023
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On November 30, 2023, Jeremy Christian Buzan was arrested for Driving under the influence of intoxicants, and reckless driving. He pled No contest to both charges on jan 29, 2024
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while still on probation for the strangulation, jeremy christian buzan was arrested for assaulting family members in a drunken rage. Charges are pending but a parole violation was noted.
https://beavertonpolice.org/DocumentCenter/View/2422/July-10-15-2025
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On August 21, 2026, police were called for service and arrested Jeremy Buzan for Driving Under the Influence and parole violation.
See for yourself in the Beaverton OR police records.
Frequently Asked Questions
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On that trip, she sat in only one seat, 63 window, plus the observation car. Other than me, she was the only girl in our group or anywhere near our seats, and I sat in 62 aisle. The letter was addressed to her seat number. She also remembered the man making eye contact and smiling at her as she went down the stairs to the restroom. She thought he was just being polite, but it stuck with her because of his distinctive appearance.
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I didn't want to complicate a possible criminal case, so I waited for the justice system to decide whether to pursue charges. Now that I know none will be filed, I want others to know what happened.
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First, some of his friends and family have confirmed that is his handwriting
Second, while it might be technically possible for some other passenger to imitate his handwriting, reference his email, and leave the note on the seat of a girl he had smiled at on the train, it seems exceedingly unlikely. he was traveling alone, no passengers on the train knew him including my family.
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Charges had to be brought in the jurisdiction where the train was when it happened, which meant Montana. Montana law made it difficult to charge without physical contact or provable intent. The prosecutor didn't believe they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the letter was meant for my child, or that it offered money for sexual contact, since phrases like "explore you" and "mess around" are legally vague.
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She is a confident, strong kid who stands up for herself. She sees a therapist weekly but mostly prefers to focus on what actually matters to her - high school coursework and friend drama.
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Proving emotional harm without physical contact is very difficult and expensive, and it would mean revealing my daughter's identity to him.