EUGENE, Ore.—A ruthless predator using social media has been handed a 15-year federal prison sentence for attempting to sexually exploit an Oregon child. Christopher Jay Young, 40, from North Bend, was sentenced to 180 months behind bars and an additional 15 years of supervised release.
Young’s insidious actions were uncovered when he used Facebook Messenger to lure a minor into engaging in sexual conduct, recording it, and sending the material to him. The depraved act took place on January 20, 2024, marking the beginning of a trail of terror that would ultimately lead to his downfall.
Law enforcement officers from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ATF, Oregon State Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Lane County Sheriff’s Office executed federal search warrants on Young’s residence and vehicles. They arrested him and seized his devices, where they discovered the minor’s Facebook login credentials stored in his phone.
On April 16, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted Young on two counts, attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct. On May 6, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to these charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Lane County Sheriff’s Office with support from HSI. Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, William M. McLaren, prosecuted the case. The public is encouraged to report any instances of child exploitation by contacting the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Child pornography is defined under federal law as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides further information at www.missingkids.org. This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation. For more, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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