Five Suspects Arrested in Rogue Valley Child Exploitation Raids

In a significant crackdown on child exploitation, the Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force arrested five separate suspects today on a total of 42 encouraging child sexual abuse felony charges. The investigations led the task force throughout the Rogue Valley, including addresses in Medford, Central Point, and Grants Pass.

While the cases are not connected, the charges brought against the suspects are extensive and deeply troubling. The charges include 32 counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, 10 counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, 16 counts of first-degree invasion of personal privacy, and one case of a felon in possession of a firearm.

A total of six local and federal law enforcement agencies worked collaboratively to make these arrests possible. The agencies involved in this operation include the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF), Medford Police Department, Central Point Police Department, and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF).

The investigations began when SOCET received crucial tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). These tips led to the issuance of subpoenas, followed by search warrants at the respective residences of the suspects. During these searches, investigators seized digital devices and subsequently applied for additional warrants to examine the seized devices.

The Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF) then conducted thorough forensic examinations of the devices, seeking further evidence of child exploitation. Subsequently, SOCET took each case through a Grand Jury hearing, and the courts issued warrants for the arrest of each suspect.

The first arrest of the operation was made when SOCET received a tip that a suspect was leaving his residence in Medford. The task force located and arrested Steven Wesley Rambo, 60, of Medford, on nine felony counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. Rambo is now detained at the Jackson County Jail. Investigators suspect that Rambo may have additional child victims and encourage anyone with information to contact them through the Sheriff’s App “Submit a Tip” feature or call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333, referencing case number 22-7462.

Another arrest occurred when the task force located a suspect’s vehicle near his residence in Medford. Michael David Robertson, 45, of Medford, was arrested for three felony counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and 16 counts of first-degree invasion of personal privacy. Robertson is currently in custody at the Jackson County Jail. During the investigation, a hidden camera was discovered in the bathroom of Robertson’s former residence, leading to the invasion of personal privacy charges. There are still two unidentified victims in this case, and information can be submitted through the Sheriff’s App or by calling the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333, referencing case number 23-1656.

Additionally, David Anthony Price, 40, was arrested at his residence in Grants Pass. Price faces 10 felony counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Investigators were led to Price’s former residence in Rogue River by an NCMEC cyber tip. He is currently lodged at the Jackson County Jail.

Mark Joseph Harding, 37, of Central Point, turned himself in at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Central Point and is charged with 10 felony counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. An NCMEC cyber tip led investigators to his residence, where numerous child exploitation images were uploaded. Harding is also in custody at the Jackson County Jail.

The final arrest of this operation was made when investigators contacted David Michael Painter, 62, at his residence in Central Point. Painter is charged with 10 felony counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and is now lodged in the Jackson County Jail.

SOCET, a joint inter-agency task force formed in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking, consists of investigators from JCSO and HSI, along with prosecutors from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.