Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force investigations led to two separate arrests today on child pornography cases. Both arrests came after months long SOCET investigations into allegations of child exploitation images uploaded from the residences. The suspects are not connected. These arrests stemmed from last year’s cases, bringing the total number of 2021 SOCET arrests to 28. Out of these cases 24 victims were identified.
The first arrest came at 8:00 this morning when Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Patrol deputies arrested Kaleb Scott Hanson, 22, at the 500 block of Meadow Lane in Eagle Point. SOCET served a search warrant August 10, 2021 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that someone had uploaded child exploitation images from the residence. During the warrant, investigators seized digital devices which were forensically examined by the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF), and further SOCET investigations led to his arrest. Hanson has been charged with two counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, two counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, and six counts of encouraging sexual assault of an animal. He is lodged at the Jackson County Jail on $250,000 bail.
The second arrest came when US Marshals from the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) arrested Nickolas James Parnell, 32, of Central Point for 15 counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. PNVOTF Marshals took Parnell into custody at the Parole and Probation office in Medford. Parnell is currently on federal probation for possession of child pornography out of the District of Idaho. SOCET investigators served a warrant at Parnell’s residence November 30, 2021 after receiving a tip from NCMEC that someone had uploaded child exploitation images from the residence. Central Point Police Department (CPPD) assisted with serving the warrant at the 500 block of Briarwood Drive in Central Point. During the warrant, investigators seized digital devices which were forensically examined by SOHTCTF, and further SOCET investigations led to his arrest. He is lodged at the Jackson County Jail on $250,000 bail.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Oregon State Police, Medford Police Department, Grants Pass Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.
PNVOTF includes personnel from the United States Marshals Service, JCSO, and CPPD. The task force specializes in locating and arresting fugitives wanted for offenses including, but not limited to, murder, assault, sex crimes, failure to register as a sex offender, firearm violations, and probation violations.
Jackson County District Attorney’s office will prosecute both cases.
Courtesy of JCSO
