JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. —The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team arrested a Medford man on multiple child sex crime charges Wednesday afternoon in Eagle Point. The arrest was made around 2:30 at a business near the intersection of Highway 62 and West Linn Road.
During their investigation, SOCET discovered the suspect was communicating nationwide with at least five underage victims through several social media sites.
The suspect, 22-year-old Zachary Elijah Bowen of Medford was arrested on 12 felony charges including using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, 10 counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, and luring a minor.
SOCET started investigating Bowen after more than a dozen National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cyber tips led to multiple residents where he lived in Portland and at a licensed marijuana farm in Trail.
Investigators found evidence of Bowen communicating nationwide with at least five underage victims through social media sites including Snapchat, Instagram, Kik, and Google under the user name Zach_grant2152. He was booked in the Jackson County Jail.
One of the victims is a 13-year-old from Kansas City Missouri. Police are looking for other underage victims.
If you have any information on Bowen, contact the Jackson County tip line at (541) 774-8333.
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