Prineville man sentenced to 7 years in prison for child sexual abuse material

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 23-year-old Prineville man was sentenced to 84 months in prison after being convicted on multiple counts related to child sexual abuse material.

Judge Wade Whiting sentenced Angel Avila to seven years in prison followed by 36 months of post-prison supervision.

Avila was convicted following a jury trial on six counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and seven counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree. The charges stemmed from the download and possession of child sexual abuse material. In addition to his prison term, Avila is required to register as a sex offender.

The investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cyber Tip regarding online activity. The tip was forwarded to the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the Prineville Police Department. Prineville detectives located seven downloaded videos depicting child sexual abuse material.

Deputy District Attorney Paxton Deuel prosecuted the case. District Attorney Hathorn commended the investigative efforts required to hold the defendant accountable.

“The possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material is not a victimless crime. Every image and video represents ongoing exploitation of a child. This material inflicts lasting trauma and perpetuates abuse against children. I thank the dedicated detectives whose thorough investigation helped our office hold this defendant accountable,” Hathorn said.

Several regional law enforcement officers assisted with the investigation and digital forensics analysis. Those acknowledged by the prosecutor's office included case agent Detective Jacob Gentry and Detective Sergeant Jordan Zamora of the Prineville Police Department, Detective Pat Hartley with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Digital Forensics Laboratory and Detective Jared Wiebold of the Bend Police Department.