Man facing child porn charges in Oregon sold photos of JonBenét after her 1996 death
OAKRIDGE, Ore. - The children's photographer accused of accessing child pornography via the wireless internet network of an Oakridge restaurant appears to be the same man who photographed 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey in June 1996 - and sold a portfolio of the images shortly after her death.
Police in Oregon arrested Randall D. Simons, 66, on July 2, 2019, on 16 counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse.
The incidents happened between August 2018 and June 2019, according to court filings in the case.
"Working in conjunction with Springfield Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, Simons was identified as regularly accessing images of child pornography on the public wireless network of a local restaurant," police in Oakridge, Oregon, said in a statement at the time of his arrest. "Simons describes himself as a children’s photographer."
A man by the same name with the same date of birth was hired in June 1996 by the Ramsey family of Boulder, Colorado, to photograph JonBenét, according to news reports from the late 1990s and sources in Colorado.
The girl was found dead in her family's home December 26 of that year.
In January 1997, Simons sold a portfolio of glamour photos of JonBenét, according to archive reports from The Associated Press related to Simons' later arrest in Colorado on charges of indecent exposure.
According to the article:
He hoped the worldwide exposure would lead to the capture of JonBenét's killer, but acknowledged that controversy over the pictures could jeopardize his career.
The pictures were taken during a June 1996 photo shoot. They showed the 6-year-old beauty queen in makeup and curls and generated criticism of children's pageants.
"My career is done. I'll probably never work again," he said then.
Oakridge Police acknowledged the possible connection but deferred comment on the investigation to the district attorney. This story will be updated with any response to a message left with the Lane County District Attorney's Office.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for August 7, according to court documents.
