A North Bend man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to sexually exploit a minor using Facebook Messenger, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Christopher Jay Young, 40, received a sentence of 180 months in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release. Court documents show that on January 20, 2024, Young used Facebook Messenger to persuade a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record it, and send the recordings to him.
On April 11, 2024, law enforcement officers from several agencies executed search warrants at Young’s home and vehicles. Agencies involved included the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oregon State Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Lane County Sheriff’s Office. During these searches, Young was arrested and his devices were seized.
Investigators discovered that Young had used the minor’s social media account to communicate and request child sexual abuse material. He also had the minor’s Facebook login credentials saved on his phone.
A federal grand jury indicted Young on April 16, 2024 with two counts: attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and attempting to coerce or entice a minor into unlawful sexual conduct. On May 6, 2025, Young pleaded guilty to one count: attempting to use a minor to produce such material.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Lane County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from HSI. William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case.
"Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov."
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reminds that child sexual abuse material documents actual crimes against children and sharing such content perpetuates harm each time it is viewed. Additional resources are available through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood—an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
