An Oregon man is facing a quarter-century behind bars for his vile plans to rape a young child, officials say. Dirk Tichgelaar, a 49-year-old from Portland who has a prior sex offense, was sentenced to 25 years for his criminal attempt to victimize a minor and for his possession of sickening abuse imagery, as announced by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Records show that Tichgelaar has been detained since he was caught in the act in January 2020.
During his hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik decreed that after serving his time, the defendant must submit to lifetime supervised release. "This defendant acted on his predatory impulse to harm a child – he traveled hundreds of miles thinking he would rape a 5-year-old. The child was fictitious, but his dark intentions were not," stated U.S. Attorney Gorman, as reported by the Department of Justice. "This is a long sentence, but necessary one, to protect the community."
Tichgelaar's deranged plot came to light during an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) using an internet chat room notorious for the sharing of child abuse materials. Posing as the father of a young girl, an undercover officer engaged Tichgelaar who divulged his intentions to commit the abuse. The predator made arrangements for the depravity, even bringing an "Elsa" costume as a twisted gift, but law enforcement was waiting at the rendezvous to arrest him.
A subsequent search of his residence by authorities led to the finding of several electronic devices storing more images portraying child abuse. Tichgelaar has been a registered sex offender since a 2005 Oregon conviction for first-degree sexual abuse. Robert Hammer, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in the Pacific Northwest, highlighted the agency's determined stance on such matters. "In safeguarding our communities' youth, including those as young as 5 years old, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) remains resolute in our mission to combat child exploitation. The recent sentencing of Tichgelaar exemplifies our unwavering commitment to utilizing every available resource to protect innocent children from predators,” Hammer underscored, per the DOJ release.
This distressing case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, the DOJ's ongoing commitment since 2006, to address the growing issue of child sexual exploitation. More information on this critical initiative can be found on the Project Safe Childhood official website.
