FBI: Portland man solicited explicit images from young girls

The FBI said Friday it has arrested a Portland man for producing child pornography at his home, allegedly approaching two Louisiana girls, 6 and 8, on a phone app and convincing them to send him explicit photos and videos of themselves.

Agents arrested Juan “Carlos” Ramon at his home on Thursday.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Ramon allegedly approached two young Louisiana girls via an app called “Musical.ly” and convinced them to send the explicit videos and photos of themselves.

A musical.ly user has the ability to generate a video, generally lasting between 15 seconds and 1 minute, which the user can then share with others using the site.

KGW reported that in federal court documents, Ramon admitted to soliciting the photos and videos using the username “lexithetiger.”

The complaint further alleges that Ramon contacted many other minors for explicit material.

Investigators said they believe Ramon may have had the opportunity for direct contact with children over a period of years as a result of various jobs he has held. They believe that Ramon is currently employed by El Programa Hispano Católico (Catholic Charities) in Gresham. They also believe he previously worked for Metropolitan Family Service’s SUN School program in Gresham.

The FBI offers this advice to concerned parents:

Parents who have a child who has come in contact with Ramon should let their child know that he has been arrested for inappropriate behavior with a child.

Parents should tell their child that if Ramon did or said anything inappropriate to them to let them know.

If a child discloses an incident that did happen to him or her or that they observed happen to someone else, the parent should not ask the child detailed questions about the incident. Instead, they are urged to contact their local law enforcement agency or the FBI at (503) 224-4181.

This investigation began in late June, when a family contacted the Ouachita Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office about what was believed to be victimization of children.

The case was investigated by a sheriff’s deputy there who also serves as a task force officer with the FBI’s New Orleans Office and is assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force there.

Ramon made his initial appearance Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Papak and was ordered detained.