A months-long child exploitation investigation has ended with a veteran Portland firefighter behind bars, after police say digital clues led straight back to a city fire station.
Detectives with Portland's Internet Crimes Against Children unit say they identified uploads of child sexual abuse material tied to a Portland Fire & Rescue facility, and the firefighter at the center of the case turned himself in earlier this week. Police announced the arrest on April 20 and said the suspect has been with the bureau for years.
According to KPTV, 43-year-old Andrew J. Ligatich surrendered on Monday and was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center. He was lodged on three counts of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse and two counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, all felony charges. Authorities asked anyone with information to email [email protected] and reference case number 25-803712. Prosecutors had not filed formal charging documents as of April 20.
Investigation traces uploads to fire station
The case started after an online platform reported suspected illegal uploads on Aug. 26, 2025, prompting the Internet Crimes Against Children unit to open an investigation, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Detectives eventually identified several related accounts and, through IP records, traced activity to a Portland Fire & Rescue station.
Investigators then used digital forensics to connect those accounts to Ligatich, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. That work, police say, culminated in Ligatich turning himself in this week.
Portland Fire & Rescue said it was first contacted by law enforcement about the investigation on July 8, 2025, and that Ligatich was placed on paid administrative leave the same day. "This presently is a dynamic situation, and PF&R and the City of Portland are monitoring it closely," PF&R spokesman Rick Graves said in a statement, according to KPTV. The bureau said it plans an internal administrative review to determine any potential employment action after the criminal case runs its course.
Local coverage last summer revealed that Ligatich was already under scrutiny. Willamette Week reported in August 2025 that he was being investigated by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office and had been placed on leave. City payroll records reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive show Ligatich earned roughly $161,447 in 2025. Union officials and fire bureau leadership declined to comment further while the case is pending.
Legal process
The counts lodged against Ligatich are felonies that will be evaluated by prosecutors as the Internet Crimes Against Children unit continues its work. Portland police have described recent ICAC operations as methodical, often relying on multi-agency cooperation and intensive digital forensics, according to press materials from the Portland Police Bureau. No court date or plea has been announced, and investigators say the case remains active.
What comes next
Police are urging anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Portland Police Bureau and reference the case number provided. The criminal case will proceed on the Multnomah County court schedule, while the city has signaled that any decisions about Ligatich's employment will wait for the outcome of its own administrative review. This story will be updated as court records and official statements are released.
