Bend-area man, already jailed for DUII, charged with explicit online luring of a ‘minor’ who was actually an undercover officer

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend-area man jailed earlier this month on a drugged driving charge has been charged with luring a minor and attempting to use a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, accused of sending explicit images and texts to someone he thought was a minor, but actually was an undercover officer.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation July 17 regarding the online luring of minor children in the county, Sergeant Thomas Lilienthal said Friday.

Investigators identified Talon Daniel Arnold, 32, as communicating with a purported minor online “for the purpose of sexual gratification,” Lilienthal said in a news release.

Court records show Arnold was arrested August 4 ^th and booked into the county jail on a charge of driving under the influence of controlled substances. He is scheduled for a plea hearing next Monday.

Sheriff’s deputies interviewed Arnold and his cellphone was analyzed by the agency’s Digital Forensics Unit.

“This analysis confirmed that Arnold was in control of his phone while sending sexually explicit images and texts to the child,” Lilienthal said.

Arnold was arrested on initial charges of luring a minor, second-degree online sexual corruption of a child and attempting to use a child in display of sexually explicit conduct.

Thursday's indictment on two felony charges of luring a minor and attempting to use a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct alleged Arnold between July 17 and August 7 provided sexually explicit material to "a law enforcement officer posing as a minor."

Court records show Arnold made an initial court appearance Monday and is due for arraignment on the indictment on Monday.

Court records also show Arnold with an extensive criminal record, including pleading guilty to fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in 2022 and receiving a 10-day jail term. His past criminal record includes a 2011 guilty plea to first-degree aggravated animal abuse, a 2016 guilty plea to two counts of identity theft and 2019 guilty pleas in Crook County to heroin and methamphetamine possession.

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