Sting leads to arrests of two Oregon men accused of luring minors, police say

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. — Two Oregon men were arrested this month after undercover officers posed as minors in online stings, the Lincoln City Police Department reports.

On March 13, Mitchell Isham, a 58-year-old resident of McMinnville, was arrested after offering to meet with a minor for sex. Unbeknownst to Isham, the minor he initiated a sexually graphic conversation with was, in reality, an undercover officer posing as a minor.

Isham was arrested and booked into the Lincoln County Jail for two counts of Luring a Minor and two counts of Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the 2nd Degree.

Also on March 13, Richard Brotherton, 63, of Amity, was arrested after initiating a sexually graphic conversation with an undercover officer posing as a minor. Brotherton was arrested and booked into the Lincoln County Jail for Luring a Minor.

LCPD Officers were assisted by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office and the McMinnville Police Department.

On March 19, a Lincoln County Grand Jury issued a True Bill Indictment against Isham and Brotherton for the crimes. A “True Bill Indictment” is a formal indictment returned by a grand jury when they find sufficient probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime, authorizing the case to proceed to trial.

The Lincoln City Police Department encourages parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and discuss with them the possible dangers of communicating with strangers online. These investigations are conducted in a continuing effort to protect our children from predators who target children for sexual exploitation and to reduce crime and further enhance the safety of our community.