A Roseburg man is headed to prison for nearly 15 years after authorities uncovered an enormous stash of child sexual abuse material, state officials said.
David Arthur Kelly was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years and eight months in prison under a stipulated agreement, according to the Oregon Department of Justice. Investigators had found more than 740,000 files containing child sexual abuse material on a hard drive. Douglas County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Johnson handed down the sentence.
Case details and timeline
Kelly pleaded no contest to five counts of first degree encouraging child sexual abuse, KATU reported. The investigation began in June 2023, and the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children task force took over in October 2024. A series of search warrants ultimately led agents to the hard drive packed with files.
Judge pushes back as defendant calls it a 'mistake'
In court, Kelly told Judge Johnson that he "had made a mistake." Johnson rejected that framing, responding, "It was not a mistake. It was a series of repeated decisions to exploit children."
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said Kelly "made it available to anyone who wanted it" and that the sentence reflects the gravity of those choices, according to KATU.
ICAC's role and statewide context
The Oregon DOJ Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force has been increasingly active statewide, working with local and federal partners on investigations and prosecutions involving online child exploitation. The agency highlighted recent arrests and sentencings tied to the task force this spring, underscoring ICAC's work to uncover child sexual abuse material and bring cases to court, according to the Oregon Department of Justice.
Legal notes
Encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree is a Class B felony under Oregon law. The statute covers knowingly developing, duplicating, disseminating or possessing sexually explicit visual recordings involving children. The full text of the law and its penalties is available at Justia.
Anyone who encounters suspected child sexual abuse material or has information relevant to this investigation is urged to contact law enforcement or file a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children through its CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org. Timely tips and digital evidence can help investigators trace distribution networks and identify victims.
