Seneca man sentenced to federal prison for attempted enticement of minor

SENECA, OR – (Press Release from U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon)

An eastern Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for attempting to meet a 15-year-old child he met online, who was actually a police officer investigating online child exploitation.

Reuben Phillip Harvey, 28, of Seneca, Oregon, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and five years of probation.

According to court documents, in March 2023, Harvey used an online messaging application to communicate with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl as part of a broader investigation into online child abuse. Harvey expressed his interest in young girls to the undercover officer and discussed the logistics of a potential meeting. During these conversations, Harvey also told the officer that he was afraid of getting caught, going to jail, and becoming a sex offender for having an intimate relationship with a child.

On March 14, 2023, Harvey traveled to meet the child, parking his vehicle a few blocks from where he believed she lived. Harvey was arrested without incident shortly thereafter. A subsequent search of his phone revealed dozens of internet searches for child abuse material and searches related to his encounter with the alleged child.

On August 3, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment against Harvey, charging him with attempted coercion and enticement of a child. On June 10, 2024, he pleaded guilty to that single charge.

This case was investigated by the Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET). It was prosecuted by John C. Brassell and Judith R. Harper, Assistant District Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Anyone with information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May
2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation
and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit
Visit www.justice.gov/psc.