La Pine man jailed on drug charge also accused of distributing child sex abuse material on social media

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 61-year-old La Pine man arrested last week on drug charges also now faces 20 counts of encouraging child sex abuse by distributing material on a social media account after a tip from a national organization led to raids on his home and cellphone, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Friday.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office Internet Crimes Against Children unit received a cybertip on June 28 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a social media account distributing child sex abuse material, Sergeant Thomas Lilienthal said.

An initial investigation found the account was being operated by Richard Jay Jackson of La Pine, Lilienthal said. The ICAC unit also learned that the DCSO Street Crimes Unit was investigating Jackson on suspicion of drug sales. Search warrants were served to online providers to begin the investigation.

Street Crimes detectives conducted a search warrant at Jackson’s home on Monday, July 8 and arrested him on methamphetamine possession and delivery charges. They seized drugs, packaging material and Jackson’s cell phone.

ICAC detectives executed a search warrant on Friday, July 12 for Jackson’s seized cellphone. The search was conducted by the Bend Police Department’s Digital Forensics Unit and uncovered “a sizable number of videos depicting child sex abuse material on Jackson’s device,” Lilienthal said.

Jackson, still in custody at the county jail in Bend, was charged with 10 first-degree and 10 second-degree counts of encouraging child sexual abuse.

This Friday, ICAC detectives, assisted by the Criminal Investigations and Digital Forensics units, executed a search warrant at Jackson’s Trailer, seizing more electronic storage devices to search for child sex abuse materials.

Lilienthal said Friday the investigation was continuing, and more search warrants will be sought for analysis of the seized digital devices and data from electronic service providers, which could result in more charges.

Court records show Jackson was initially arraigned on Monday and indicted Wednesday on the 20 counts of encouraging child sex abuse. He is due for arraignment next Monday on the formal indictment.

Jackson was arraigned July 9 on the meth possession charge, as the delivery charge was dropped. He was indicted July 12 and arraigned Tuesday on the formal indictment, in which he's accused of possessing "substantial quantities" of meth and materials used to package it. He is scheduled for arraignment on that charge on August 6.

Jackson remained jailed Friday, held on $500,000 bail, records showed.