A Willamina man is facing felony charges after Yamhill County investigators say he contacted a minor online for sexual exploitation, and detectives are now trying to determine whether he had access to additional victims through a youth farming organization. Jeremy Tish was booked into the Yamhill County Detention Center after his arrest, accused of luring a minor and attempting to use a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct.
According to the KOIN.com, the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office said Tish was arrested after contacting a minor for sexual exploitation. Per the report, Yamhill County officials had initiated the sexual exploitation investigation back in March 2026, and by February 2026 concluded that Tish had lured a minor.
Investigators have also flagged a potential connection between Tish and Future Farmers of America activities in the Polk County area. Per the sheriff's office, detectives learned about Tish's potential involvement in FFA events and additional online contact with minors as the case developed, though it remains unclear whether he held any formal or informal role within the organization or whether any incidents took place during official program activities.
Detectives Fear Additional Victims
Investigators are concerned about the possibility of additional victims, according to the sheriff's office, and say Tish may have had broader online access to minors beyond the initial case. The sheriff's office also reported that he may have had additional online contact with minors that detectives are still working to trace.
Polk County, just south of Yamhill County in Oregon's Willamette Valley, is home to agricultural communities including Dallas and Rickreall that regularly host regional youth agricultural and FFA exhibitions, according to PolkCo Scanner. That regional draw means participants from multiple counties often cross paths at these events, a factor investigators may be weighing as they assess how far Tish's alleged contact with minors extended.
The Charges and Potential Penalties
Tish faces a charge of Luring a Minor under Oregon Revised Statute 167.057, a Class C felony carrying a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, according to Oregon state law. He also faces a charge of attempting to use a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct under ORS 163.670, which is classified as a Class A felony and, per the Oregon Legislature, is designated under ORS 137.690 as a major felony sex crime subject to a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for repeat offenders.
Convictions under ORS 163.670 also carry lasting consequences beyond prison time. Under Oregon Administrative Rule 581-055-0001, such convictions are categorized as disqualifying crimes that permanently bar individuals from serving as employees, contractors, or volunteers in Oregon public schools and affiliated youth programs, according to the Oregon Secretary of State.
Why Tish's Booking Photo Was Released
Oregon generally restricts law enforcement from releasing booking photos before a conviction, but the law includes exceptions when officers determine a specific law enforcement purpose exists, such as soliciting public help to identify additional victims. That framework, established under Oregon House Bill 3273 and detailed by Criminal Legal News, appears to explain why the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office chose to make Tish's photo public while the investigation continues.
This is not the first time this year that Yamhill County investigators have made a similar appeal. Hoodline previously reported that a McMinnville man was arrested in late July on child sexual abuse charges, with deputies publicly seeking additional victims given his active role in local youth soccer leagues. Investigations into suspects with ties to youth organizations have become a recurring pattern for the county's Special Investigations Unit, which handles sensitive cyber-crime and youth exploitation cases.
Not every high-profile case in the county has ended in charges holding up, however. In April, a Yamhill County Circuit Court judge dismissed a separate child sexual abuse case against former youth sports coach Jeremy Roy Nettrouer after prosecutors moved to drop the charges following a ten-month investigation, underscoring the high evidentiary bar prosecutors face in these complex cases.
State Resources Back Local Investigations
Rural Oregon sheriff's offices like Yamhill County's lean heavily on state infrastructure to investigate digital enticement cases. The Oregon Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force operates on a $3.45 million budget for 2023 through 2025 and collaborates with 114 affiliate law enforcement agencies statewide to pursue digital exploitation tips.
Anyone with information about minors who may have been exploited online, including possible connections to Polk County FFA events, is encouraged to contact investigators. The Oregon Department of Human Services also maintains a 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 855-503-SAFE, which coordinates directly with local law enforcement dispatchers to evaluate reports around the clock.
