SOCET Case Leads to 30-Year Sentence for Man in Child Sexual Abuse Case

A Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) case has led to a 30-year prison sentence for a White City man. The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that Justin Atto, 32, of White City, pled guilty to Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree, Sodomy in the First Degree, and three counts of Using a Child in Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct. For these crimes, Atto was sentenced to 370 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections, to be followed by lifetime post-prison supervision. His prison sentence is pursuant to Measure 11 and will be served day-for-day. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender as part of this sentence. The investigation in this case began when law enforcement received a Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that an image containing sexually explicit material involving a juvenile had been uploaded. SOCET detectives were able to identify Atto as the individual that had uploaded the image. When Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force detectives later searched electronics in the suspect’s possession, they found additional images, including images depicting Atto sexually abusing a child. ...Read more

Oregon Department of Human Services Roll out November SNAP Benefits

Oregon families are starting to see their November food stamp benefits restored to their Oregon Trail Cards. According to The Oregonian, Governor Tina Kotek said that Oregon Department of Human Services employees worked through the night to issue the funds. On Thursday afternoon, a federal judge told President Donald Trump he must find the money to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which has been threatened by the government shutdown. The federal government appealed that decision, but the order prompted Kotek to tell the Oregon Department of Human Services to release full SNAP benefits for November. More than 750,000 Oregonians rely on the food benefits. ...Read more

ODF to Decrease Industrial Slash Burning Restrictions

A persistent weather pattern of cooler temperatures and consistent rain prompted a decrease in restrictions for industrial slash burning, effective Monday, November 10, at 12:01 a.m. As a result, the Oregon Department of Forestry says prescribed fire and industrial slash burning may increase in high-elevation, remote areas throughout Jackson and Josephine Counties. These restrictions are specifically for industrial use and are separate from general public debris burning regulations. Before a debris or barrel burn, members of the public should first contact their local fire district for any needed permits, and on the day of the debris burn, contact the appropriate county burn line to confirm it is a burn day. For those in Jackson County, the number is 541-776-7007. In Josephine County, it's (541) 476-9663. Even though the fire season is officially over, please continue to practice fire prevention when burning debris by ensuring a burn pile is never left un-attended and using caution when using machinery that could cause a spark. Fire prevention tips and information from the ODF Southwest Oregon District is available online at www.swofire.com, Additional information can be found at www.oregon.gov/odf/fire ...Read more