Portland Child Sex Abuse Arrest: 18 Year Old Charged With 12 Felonies

PORTLAND, OR — Kellen Nicholson, an 18-year-old man from Portland, is under arrest, charged with 12 felony counts related to child pornography, according to Portland police. Nicholson was arrested by the Portland Police Bureau's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit after a one-month investigation.

Police said that he was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and had not been arraigned by late afternoon.

The investigation centered on Nicholson's relationship with a 13 year old. Police have not said where the younger teen lives, but did say that the teen was not physically harmed.

Nicholson is charged with:

• Five counts of encouraging sex abuse in the first degree (duplication of child sex abuse imagery.
• Five counts of encouraging sex abuse in the second degree (possession with intent to view).
• Luring a minor (inducing the minor or purported minor to engage in sexual conduct).
• Online sexual corruption of a child in the second degree (knowingly uses an online communication to solicit a child to engage in sexual contact or sexually explicit conduct).

Nicolson had not been arraigned as of late Friday afternoon.

Police said that last month, they received a tip about someone who possessed child pornography.

Their investigation led them to Nicholson and connected him to a 13-year-old victim, whom they accuse him of grooming to participate in child pornography, according to court documents.

Police said that Nicholson targeted the teen because of their LGBTQ2S+ identity.

The family of the teen did not know of the teen's online life and expressed gratitude for being alerted to the situation, police said.