Arrest Made In Child Pornography Case

JCSO Case 18-19376

On December 20th, 2019 Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Detectives made an arrest in a child pornography case first reported in 2018.

The investigation began in September 2018 with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The initial report was that child pornography was being downloaded at a residence in the 7300 block of Upper Applegate Road near Jacksonville, Oregon.

The investigation led to a search warrant being served at the home of the suspect. Subsequently, evidence belonging to the suspect was analyzed by the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force. Seven hundred images of child pornography were found along with over fifty images of animal sexual abuse.

Detectives arrested Gary Lee Watts, 61 years old, of the 7300 block of Upper Applegate Rd. Jacksonville, Oregon at his home this morning. Watts was lodged at the Jackson County Jail.

He is lodged on twenty counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse I (ORS 163.684) and ten counts of encouraging Sexual Assault of an Animal (ORS 167.341.) His bail is $250,000.

JCSO was assisted in this investigation by Oregon State Police, the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force, Medford PD and Homeland Security.