Portland police moved quickly this week after an online child-exploitation tip pointed to what investigators say was an immediate threat to a local child. Detectives arrested 29-year-old Justin M. Jespersen on Wednesday, taking him into custody and booking him into the Multnomah County Detention Center to head off what they described as potential harm. Jespersen is a Portland resident, according to authorities.
In a press release shared via Portland Police Bureau, detectives said the bureau’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit received a CyberTipline report on March 30 that alleged distribution of child sexual abuse material. Investigators say they identified an “active threat” and believed Jespersen was planning to sexually abuse a young child, prompting the swift arrest “to prevent potential harm to a child.” Police did not identify any alleged victim.
How the Investigation Started
The CyberTipline, operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, routes reports of suspected child sexual abuse material to local Internet Crimes Against Children task forces for follow-up. That pipeline is what brought the March 30 tip to Portland detectives, according to the organization.
Portland’s ICAC team has run similar proactive stings before, including a multi-agency online mission that led to multiple arrests in January 2025, according to a Portland Police Bureau release. The bureau says its online operations are designed to identify and arrest suspects before they can meet or harm children in person.
Charges and Legal Context
According to Portland Police Bureau, Jespersen was booked on 13 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree and 13 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree…