A Umatilla man pleaded not guilty in federal court to making hoax phone calls threatening sexual violence against children and possessing dozens of photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Thomas Loren Goatley, 20, gave the plea Thursday, Aug. 22, before a magistrate judge in Portland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon reported in a press release. Goatley faces charges of distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and interstate threats.
According to court records, FBI Special Agent Jennifer Duke began an investigation after the Umatilla Police Department on March 8 reported receiving a complaint from the police department of Helena, Mont., regarding an unknown male making calls to their local school claiming he was sexually abusing one of their students.
Helena police found the call came from the number of Goatley in Umatilla.
Umatilla PD soon after received a similar complaint from New Castle, Wyo. That call resulted in Newcastle schools going into lockdown, according to court records, preventing anyone from entering or exiting. Numerous law enforcement officers and agencies attempted to locate the caller, who went by “Dale.” New Castle police tracked the call to Umatilla and contacted UPD.
Umatilla police investigated Goatley in the past for making sexual phone calls to public places, according to court documents. Umatilla police contacted Goatley, and his mother, at their home in Umatilla. Both denied he made any phone calls that morning.
A third report came April 18 from Dearborn, Michigan, and again pointed to Goatley.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged Goatley made more than 60 phone calls to schools, police departments, emergency lines and animal shelters in at least 12 states. During many of these calls, he claimed he was sexually assaulting a child or he was about to do so.
Investigators on July 22 executed a federal search warrant on Goatley’s person and residence in Umatilla and arrested him. During questioning, according to court documents, Goatley admitted to making the threatening phone calls and to receiving and distributing images of child sex abuse.
A later search of Goatley’s cellphone revealed dozens of illicit images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Goatley made his initial appearance in federal court on July 23 before a U.S. magistrate judge and was detained pending further court proceedings. A federal grand jury on Aug. 7 indicted Goatley on six counts for possessing and distributing images depicting child sexual abuse and making the hoax calls.
Following his arraignment Aug. 22, the court set a four-day jury to begin Oct. 22.
Receiving and possessing child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison with a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and transmitting interstate threats is punishable by up to five years in federal prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also stated it brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the U.S. Department of Justice began in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
