JCSO Case 24-2046
RURAL JACKSONVILLE, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives are investigating a suspicious death after skeletal remains were discovered Sunday, April 14 outside Jacksonville in the Applegate area. JCSO detectives and medical examiners responded to investigate. The rugged terrain and remote area required JCSO Search and Rescue (SAR) to assist in recovering the remains. Due to the ongoing investigation, the exact location will not be released at this time.
Investigators are working to identify the subject and the cause and manner of death. Due to the advanced stages of decomposition, state medical examiners will conduct additional testing. This case is under further investigation with detectives following additional leads. No more information is available at this time.
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JCSO Case 24-1981
WHITE CITY, Ore. - Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) and Fire District 3 responded to a fatal single vehicle crash in White City this afternoon. The crash occurred near the intersection of Avenue A and Atlantic Ave today at approximately 1:49 p.m.
The driver was pronounced deceased on scene. Next of kin has been notified. Our condolences go out to the friends and family of the deceased. We will not be releasing the name of the deceased at this time.
JCSO deputies and Medical Examiner detectives are investigating the crash. Preliminary details indicate a Toyota Tacoma was traveling at high speed in the 4000 block of Avenue A when it struck a parked semi truck and power pole, and caught fire. This case is under further investigation and there is no more information available at this time.
BEND, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) was awarded the Oregon 2023 DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year in a ceremony last Thursday, April 4. The award came from the Oregon DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force in recognition for outstanding professional achievement in the deterrence and prevention of DUIIs in the State of Oregon. For the 2023 state-wide awards there were 15 awards categories with a total of 105 nominations.
This award highlights JCSO’s comprehensive approach to ensuring road safety and reducing DUII incidents within the community. In 2023, the JCSO’s Patrol Division, which was comprised of approximately 40-sworn personnel, were responsible for the following:
• 1,032 Crash Investigations
• 367 DUII Arrests
• 13,526 Traffic Stops
Beyond DUII enforcement, JCSO has adopted a strategy to prevent DUIIs, emphasizing strong community ties and proactive education. Our efforts include the launch of a Citizen Recognition Program to honor and encourage public involvement in identifying impaired drivers, enhancing collaborations with emergency response teams, and the delivery of extensive educational programs targeting various community segments.
Key educational initiatives spearheaded by JCSO in 2023 encompass a range of programs:
Victim Impact Panel: A mandatory course for those convicted of DUII and others interested in understanding the consequences of impaired driving, facilitated by a combination of law enforcement, medical professionals, victims, and offenders.
Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals (DITEP): Aimed at school personnel, this course focuses on identifying and intervening with students impaired by drugs.
Students for a Safer Tomorrow: This program educates high school students on DUII investigation, the risks of impairment, and prevention strategies.
Citizens Academy: Offering citizens insights into the dangers of DUII, through discussions on crash statistics, impairment detection, and sobriety testing.
JCSO also places a significant emphasis on law enforcement training, including refreshers on field sobriety testing, advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement, and specialized courses on drug influence evaluation.
JCSO's dedication extends to allocating specialized resources and expertise, such as traffic units focused on DUII enforcement, Drug Recognition Experts to assist in DUII cases, and a team specialized in Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction.
The "2023 DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year" award is a testament to JCSO Patrol’s steadfast commitment and impactful strategies in creating safer roadways. Their efforts not only make our community safer but also serve as an example for other law enforcement agencies in the fight against impaired driving.
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Broll of Operation Alliance: https://vimeo.com/925930331?share=copy
Interview with SOCET Detective Steve Bohn: https://vimeo.com/925921699?share=copy
JCSO Cases 24-0581, 24-0587, 24-0680, 24-0710, 24-0711, 24-1124
OREGON – A month long undercover operation to identify adults victimizing children online has led to arrests of six suspects throughout Oregon. The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force conducted the operation to identify and arrest dangerous cyber predators using the internet to meet with local children to have sex.
The SOCET led operation consisted of undercover law enforcement officers posing online as minors, waiting for suspects to proposition them into having sex. Even after the acknowledgement of the child’s age, suspects sent sexually explicit messages, photos, and detailed requests of sexual activities they wanted to perform with the undercover officer posing as a child.
This complex undercover operation involved dozens of law enforcement personnel including detectives, investigators, and support staff from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Oregon State Police (OSP), Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Medford Police Department (MPD), Central Point Police Department, and Milwaukie Police Department; as well as prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office. Due to the complexity of this operation and the dangers involved in the arrests, SOCET also enlisted assistance from other local police task forces including the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team, Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force, and Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force.
The first arrest came January 30th when Gabriel Julian Harrison-Swinden, 29, of White City, attempted to meet and have sex with a juvenile. Harrison-Swinden is charged with first and second-degree online sexual corruption of a child, luring a minor, and attempted using a child in the display of sexually explicit conduct. He was booked and lodged in the Jackson County Jail. Investigators have reason to believe Harrison-Swinden may have victimized children throughout Oregon and the United States. If you have any information, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-581.
The second arrest on January 30th was Kelly Patrick Ramsey, 57, of Central Point, when he attempted to meet with a juvenile to have sex. Ramsey is charged with two counts of first-degree online sexual corruption of a child, two counts of second-degree online sexual corruption of a child, two counts of luring a minor, and using a child in the display of sexually explicit conduct. Ramsey was booked and lodged at the Jackson County Jail. Investigators have reason to believe Ramsey may have victimized children throughout Oregon and the United States. If you have any information, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-587.
The third arrest came on February 3rd when Steven Eugene Fitzgerald Buckner, 33, of Tigard, Ore., traveled to Jackson County to meet with juveniles to have sex. Buckner is charged federally with online coercion and enticement of a minor. Buckner was booked and lodged in the Jackson County Jail on a federal hold. Investigators have reason to believe Buckner may have victimized children throughout Oregon and the United States. If you have any information, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-680.
On February 27th, Cayden James Vasquez, 25, of Medford, was arrested attempting to meet with a juvenile to have sex. Vasquez is charged with first and second-degree online sexual corruption of a child, luring a minor, and attempted using a child in the display of sexually explicit conduct. He was booked and lodged in the Jackson County Jail. If you have any information, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-1124.
Last week, SOCET investigators traveled to Milwaukie, Ore. to arrest Andrew P Jones, 41, of Milwaukie. Milwaukie Police Department assisted with the March 12th arrest. Jones is charged with second-degree online sexual corruption of a child, and luring a minor. He was booked and lodged in the Clackamas County Jail awaiting transport to Jackson County. If you have any information, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-711.
The next day on March 13th, SOCET investigators traveled to Redmond, Ore. and arrested Steven Charles Newstrom, 66, of Redmond, as he attempted to meet with a juvenile to have sex. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest. Jones is charged with second-degree online sexual corruption of a child, and luring a minor. He was booked and lodged in the Deschutes County Jail awaiting transport to Jackson County. If you have any information, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-710.
Investigators have reason to believe the suspects pictured may have other victims. If anyone has additional information on these suspects, please call your local law enforcement agency or the JCSO tip line at (541) 774-8333. If you have any information on the suspects, you can also contact investigators through the Sheriff’s App “Submit a Tip” feature. Download the App here: https://apps.myocv.com/share/a72997501.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO and HSI with assistance from OSP and MPD; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.