DA: Bend music teacher arrested for explicit images of kids also traded nude photos with 13-year-old girl
(Update: Ekstrom's first court appearance, bail set with conditions; new allegations)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend music teacher made his first court appearance from jail Friday on six felony charges he possessed explicit images of children and uploaded a video containing child sexual abuse -- and a new allegation that he persuaded a 13-year-old girl to exchange nude photos of themselves online.
Deschutes County Circuit Judge Alycia Sykora set $100,000 bail for Erik Duane Ekstrom, 35, along with a set of conditions he must comply with if released. The judge appointed an attorney for Ekstrom, who had none at the first court appearance.
The conditions the judge set if Ekstrom posts bail and is released include a GPS ankle bracelet to monitor his movements and a requirement he stay away from anywhere children could congregate, including any schools or playgrounds. Ekstrom also is forbidden to access the internet.
The charges filed Friday by the District Attorney's office include two counts each of first- and second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and single counts of luring a minor and attempting to use a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, Class B and C felonies.
Ekstrom is due back in court next Thursday afternoon for arraignment on an expected formal indictment, after the case is presented to a grand jury.
The initial charges list two dates for the allegations, on or about last Dec. 20 and June 17 of this year. They allege he accessed and duplicated recordings of sexually explicit conduct involving a child -- and more.
DA John Hummel provided this background to NewsChannel 21 when asked about the investigation and charges:
"The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force notified local law enforcement officers of a local suspect who accessed child porn on the internet in December of 2021. ICAC was assisted in their work by The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. TDS Telecom (BendBroadband) was then served with a subpoena and complied with the order to provide account information. The account-holder was Ekstrom.
"Further investigation revealed another instance of accessing child porn on the internet in December of 2021. Most concerning was evidence that in June of 2022, Ekstrom began an online conversation with a 13-year old (on the East Coast, Hummel later explained) and persuaded her to send him nude pictures of herself, which she did. He then sent her nude pictures of himself."
"Mr. Ekstrom is presumed innocent, and in fact is innocent, unless and until the state proves his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," the DA said, but he added: "If Mr. Ekstrom is found guilty of these allegations, he will regret choosing to commit his crimes in Deschutes County."
Bend police said they received a report on August 11 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force indicating a video containing child sexual abuses had been uploaded and linked to Ekstrom's digital devices, police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.
Further investigation revealed more tips from the task force that returned to Ekstrom’s digital devices, Miller said.
Around 7 a.m. Thursday, Bend police executed a search warrant at Ekstrom’s home on Northeast Viking Avenue, Miller said.
Several digital devices were seized, and Ekstrom was arrested and lodged in the Deschutes County Jail. initially on two counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, a Class C felony.
As the investigation continues, anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ian Macdonnell through the county non-emergency dispatch line, 541-693-6911.
Ekstrom was hired by Bend-La Pine Schools in August of last year to work at Highland Magnet School at Kenwood, adding hours at Cascade Middle School in February. For the current school year, he was assigned to Cascade and Pacific Crest middle schools and Summit High School, Bend-La Pine Director of Communication and Safety Julianne Repman said.
In a letter to families, Summit Principal Michael McDonald said, "These images are not believed to be of children in the local area" and "there is no current indication that Ekstrom's crimes have a nexus to our students, staff or schools."
A welcome letter in August 2021 from the Highland Elementary School principal indicated Ekstrom was a former Highland student and his father was a former principal. It said he had taught music for a decade in Minnesota.
Online records in Oregon and Minnesota list no criminal history for Ekstrom.
An online posting by Ekstrom said he was born and raised in Bend, moving to Minnesota in 2006 to attend St. Olaf College.
Ekstrom also has been serving as music director at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon, where a biography listed other aspects of his background, including graduating from Summit High in 2006. It was later revised to indicate he was on administrative leave.
Here's the letter the Summit principal sent to parents and families:
