Robert Arnold Koester, Child Pornography, Oregon 2023

PORTLAND, Ore.—A notorious photographer from Yamhill County, Oregon, has been charged with six counts of production of child pornography.

Robert Arnold Koester, 52, a photographer with a history of taking nude photos of models, including minors, is alleged to have coerced six minor victims in Oregon to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, beginning in January 2015.

Koester, also known as Bert Kay, Rhake Winter, and Qitooly, has been accused of being a serial sexual predator who has potentially been engaging in these criminal acts since 1994, continuing until his initial arrest in Carlsbad, California, on November 13, 2018.

The indictment alleges that Koester knowingly produced child pornography, a heinous crime that has left many residents in Yamhill County and beyond outraged.

The FBI has been working closely with local law enforcement in Carlsbad, Yamhill County, and elsewhere to identify potential victims in this case. The agency has created an online system to collect victim information and has launched a confidential online questionnaire for anyone with information about this ongoing investigation.

Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law, and more information is available at fbi.gov/modelcase.

This case was investigated by the FBI in Portland and San Diego, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carlsbad Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Ravi Sinha, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Koester, who faces dozens of additional state and federal charges for related criminal conduct in Yamhill County and Carlsbad, is currently being held without bail.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/yamhill-county-photographer-charged-producing-child-pornography