The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET), working alongside the Oregon Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Ashland Police Department, served a search warrant Wednesday morning as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation.
The warrant was executed on July 22 at an apartment in the 400 block of Russell Street in Ashland after SOCET investigators received more than 2,000 images of suspected Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) that investigators believe were sent directly from an unidentified suspect.
During the operation, investigators interviewed potential witnesses and others connected to the investigation. Authorities said they are working to identify the individual responsible. Once a suspect is identified, investigators plan to submit the case to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.
As part of the search warrant, investigators seized multiple digital devices that will undergo forensic examination by the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF). Officials hope the examination will uncover additional evidence related to child exploitation offenses.
Several agencies participated in the operation, including the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Medford Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Central Point Police Department, Talent Police Department, the Oregon Department of Justice ICAC Task Force, and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force.
SOCET was established in June 2020 as a multi-agency task force dedicated to investigating and combating child exploitation crimes in Southern Oregon. The team includes investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Medford Police Department, Oregon Department of Justice ICAC, and Homeland Security Investigations, along with prosecutors from local, state, and federal agencies serving Jackson County.
The Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force is also a multi-agency partnership made up of investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Medford Police Department. The task force provides specialized digital forensic support for investigations involving electronic evidence.
Investigators continue to examine the seized devices and interview witnesses. Officials said the investigation remains active, and no additional information is being released at this time.
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