PORTLAND, Ore. — The Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) has arrested a Portland man suspected of attempting to use the internet to lure minors. Jon Scot Taylor, 68, was arrested and booked in Washington County Jail on charges of luring a minor and first-degree online sexual corruption of a child.
The sheriff's office began investigating after receiving a tip from a police department in Sylva, North Carolina, that an adult man in Oregon was using the internet to attempt to communicate with minors, according to a news release from the office.
A court document filed Tuesday in connection with the case states that a detective in Sylva had begun chatting with Taylor while posing as a 13-year-old girl, but contacted WCSO after learning that Taylor lived in Oregon.
"Some of these sexual predators are willing to travel," said Dep. David Huey with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. "Really what's important to us is we want to protect the kids."
A detective from the WCSO Violent Crimes Unit began a similar sting operation on July 24, posing as a different 13-year-old girl. The suspect engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the second decoy and eventually made plans to meet in person on Aug. 2 at a church in Beaverton, according to the court document, and he was arrested at that location later that day.
Taylor was arraigned on Aug. 5 and pleaded not guilty to both charges, according to court records. His bail was set at $50,000, with the additional condition that he not possess any devices with an internet connection except for work purposes. There was no public defender available to represent him; the court document filed Tuesday is a motion from state prosecutors to require the immediate appointment of a defense counsel.
Investigators believe Taylor may have additional victims. Anyone with information about him is asked to call the sheriff's office Investigations Division at 503-846-2500.