EUGENE, Ore.—An Albany, Oregon man has been indicted in federal court for sexually abusing a toddler on at least five separate occasions, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Kevin Walter Taylor, 33, has been charged with five counts of using a child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, four counts of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on the morning of September 8, 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered material online depicting child sexual abuse and determined that Taylor was likely committing the abuse from his home in Albany. Within hours, HSI agents and officers from the Albany Police Department obtained and executed a federal search warrant on Taylor’s residence. The same night, HSI and Albany Police arrested Taylor and rescued the toddler victim. When taken into protective custody, the toddler victim was still wearing the same clothes as those depicted in the abuse images allegedly produced and distributed by Taylor hours earlier.
Taylor was arraigned in federal court today by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on December 27, 2023.
Using a child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. Distributing and possessing child pornography are punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence.
This case was investigated by HSI in conjunction with the Albany Police Department. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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