The Lane County sheriff's deputy charged with sexually exploiting minors resigned from the department Aug. 3, the department said.
According to the sheriff's department, the department informed deputy Dylan Ford that it would conduct an internal investigation related to the accusations. Upon receiving that notification, Ford resigned. The department said it would still conduct the labor investigation and submit its findings to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training for board review of his corrections certification.
Ford worked for the department for 7.5 years. Federal police arrested him on July 28, the same day the Lane County Sheriff's Office placed him on unpaid leave. On July 29 federal attorneys criminally charged Ford.
According to federal prosecutors, Ford's cell phone contained at least four conversations where he enticed girls between the ages of 14 and 16 into sending sexual videos. One such video depicted "a distressed, crying minor carrying out various sexual acts."
Federal prosecutors charged Ford with attempted enticement of a minor, attempted receipt of child pornography and attempted sexual exploitation of children.
Federal prosecutors say one of Ford's alleged victims reached out to the wife of another sheriff's deputy and described her experiences. When they made the Lane County Sheriff's Office aware, it forwarded the complaint to the Linn County Sheriff's Office, which looped in the FBI.
The FBI examined Ford's chat history where investigators say they found he was talking with several children, both in the United States and other countries, who sent him pornographic photos and videos of themselves.
In prosecutors' Motion for Detention, the government painted a picture of a man who should not be free to access the public.
Prosecutors claimed Ford is proficient in disappearing photos, encrypted chat platforms and has connections to minors domestically and abroad. They also described him as someone with the connections to abuse again, citing his role as a sheriff deputy and with children's groups at his church.
Federal Judge Amy Potter granted the government's request and ruled Ford detained until his trial. She cited the nature of the alleged offense and a desire to ensure Ford has no more contact with minors. His next scheduled court appearance is Nov. 25.
Anyone with information about the case, or sexual exploitation of children in general, should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached by email at [email protected], on X @alanfryetorres or on Reddit at u/AlfrytRG.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Lane County deputy charged for child porn, exploiting minors resigns