A month-long undercover operation to identify adults victimizing children online has led to the arrests of six suspects throughout Oregon.
The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint interagency task force conducted the operation to identify and arrest dangerous cyber-predators who are using the internet to meet local children to have sex.
The SOCET-led operation consisted of undercover law enforcement officers posing online as minors, waiting for suspects to proposition them into having sexual relations. Even after the acknowledgement of the child's age, the suspects sent sexually explicit messages, photos and detailed requests for illegal activities.
The first arrest came January 30th when 29-year-old Gabriel Harrison-Swinden of White City attempted to meet and have sex with a juvenile. He was booked and lodged at the Jackson County Jail as was 57-year-old Kelly Ramsey of Central Point, who was arrested the same day for attempting to meet a minor to have sex.
The third arrest came on February 3rd when 33-year-old Eugene Buckner of Tigard traveled to Jackson County to meet with juveniles to have sex. On February 27th, 25-year-old Cayden Vasquez of Medford was arrested while attempting to meet with a juvenile for the same purpose.
On March 12th, SOCET investigators traveled to Milwaukie to arrest 41-year-old Andrew Jones for soliciting sex with a minor. The next day, investigators traveled to Redmond to arrest 66-year-old Steven Newstrom for the same crime.
This complex undercover operation involved dozens of law enforcement agencies including detectives, investigators and support staff. SOCET believes the suspects may have other victims. If you have additional information, please call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office Tip Line at (541)-774-8333.
