EUGENE, Ore. (Feb. 28, 2026)— A 25-year-old Gold Hill man was arrested this week following a months-long online child exploitation investigation led by the Eugene Police Department and involving multiple Southern Oregon law enforcement agencies.
Beginning in September 2025, Kaleb John Francis Altman allegedly contacted and began interacting online with a juvenile female who was actually a detective with the Eugene Police Department investigating internet crimes against children. According to police, Altman sent the “teen” explicit links to adult pornography sites, as well as videos and photos of his erect genitals and sex acts.
On Feb. 25, a violent crimes detective traveled to Medford and met with detectives from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to collaborate on the case.
A coordinated team that included the Eugene Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Medford Police Department arrested Altman without incident as he arrived at his workplace in Medford, authorities said.
Altman was transported to Eugene and lodged at the Lane County Jail on charges of Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the Second Degree.
Detectives from the Eugene Police Department said they will “continue to work with aggressively investigate online predators and hold them accountable for their actions.”
The Eugene Police Department is part of a regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program is a national network of coordinated task forces that aims to prevent cybercrime against children. It represents more than 5,400 federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. The ICAC task forces focus on catching distributors of child pornography and sexual predators who solicit victims online.
The program has been operating since 1998 and helps law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative response to individuals who exploit children using the internet or other computer technology.
In Southern Oregon, the Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) was formed in June 2020 to combat child exploitation. The joint interagency task force includes investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Medford Police Department, the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations, along with prosecutors from local, state and federal partners in Jackson and Josephine counties.
Authorities also provided guidance for parents and guardians to help protect children online. Recommendations include monitoring children’s devices remotely and controlling access; being aware of communications between children and others; watching for unexplained absences, behavioral changes or sudden gifts or cash; and understanding that “no one online is anonymous.”
Law enforcement advises parents to spend time with children on new games or apps, set up common areas for technology use, consider restricting device access in bedrooms at night, and teach children that it is acceptable to block users who make them uncomfortable. Parents are also encouraged to understand appropriate protocols if a child discloses issues involving sexting or sextortion and to ensure children know they can report concerns to a trusted adult.
Officials said parents should familiarize themselves with popular applications, including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Google Hangouts and Instagram.
All suspects are believed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
Discover more from Medford Alert News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
