A Gresham man is facing a staggering 48-count indictment tied to child sexual abuse material after his July 23 arrest and booking into the Multnomah County Jail, authorities said.
Prosecutors say 39-year-old James Charles Wise Jr. is charged with 24 counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and 24 counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. The indictment references recordings that date back to August 2022 and continue as recently as January 2026. Wise Jr. was scheduled to appear in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Indictment details
The indictment, filed July 21, accuses Wise Jr. of possessing recordings of sexually explicit conduct involving children “with the intent to duplicate, publish, and disseminate the visual recording,” according to KATU. The charges are tied to alleged duplication and dissemination of visual recordings, rather than an on-scene act described in the document. Prosecutors have not publicly released additional investigative details beyond what is in the indictment available to reporters.
Police arrest and booking
In a brief news release posted to FlashAlert, the Gresham Police Department said Wise Jr. was taken into custody on July 23 and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on the 24 first-degree and 24 second-degree counts listed in the indictment. The department confirmed the charges but offered few specifics about how the case unfolded, and detectives have not publicly identified any victims or laid out a detailed investigative timeline.
What Oregon law says
Under Oregon law, the production, duplication and dissemination of visual recordings depicting sexual conduct by children are treated as separate crimes. ORS 163.684, which defines first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, covers knowingly duplicating or disseminating such recordings and is charged as a Class B felony. The statute text is available via Justia.
ORS 163.686 sets out the second-degree offense, which applies to possession or viewing of child sexual abuse material with intent to arouse and is a Class C felony. The full provision can be read on Oregon Public Law. Convictions on these charges carry felony-level penalties under Oregon’s sentencing rules.
Broader context and next steps
The case lands as state prosecutors and Internet Crimes Against Children task forces continue to put significant resources into tracking and prosecuting child sexual abuse material. The Oregon Department of Justice has recently highlighted major prosecutions and lengthy prison terms in similar cases, including a nearly 15-year sentence for a Roseburg man who stockpiled more than 740,000 child sexual abuse files, as detailed in a news release from the Oregon Department of Justice.
Local court records are expected to document Wise Jr.’s initial appearance and future hearings. KATU reported that his first court date was set for Friday, July 24, 2026.
