Dozens of people throughout the Portland area have received threatening phone calls in the last few days from a man demanding phone sex.

According to Gresham police, the caller tells his victim he has kidnapped an 11-year-old girl and demands phone sex, saying if he does not get it, he will hurt the girl. The calls are reportedly random, threatening, explicit and they come out of the blue. The caller, or callers, could simply be dialing random numbers in the phone book.

There have not been reports of this happening in Corvallis, but the Corvallis police encourage residents to be aware in case someone here receives such a call.

Portland police say the problem is escalating and that it seems anyone can become a target. Those who get such a call are encouraged to help detectives catch the suspect by hanging up and dialing *57 immediately after receiving such a call.

"What that will do is trace the last call to your telephone," said Qwest spokesman Bob Gravely.

Corvallis police have requested that anyone who receives a similar phone call to also call the police department at 766-6924.