Prosecutors have said Oran Routh had “hundreds” of files depicting minors being sexually exploited
The son of the man who stands accused of attempting to kill Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was taken into custody in North Carolina over possession of child pornography, according to local prosecutors.
Court records show that Oran Alexander Routh was arrested on Tuesday after being charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography the previous day.
According to public records, Oran Routh, 35, is the son of Ryan Wesley Routh, who was indicted on Tuesday for trying to assassinate Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida in mid-September. Ryan Routh faces several other charges related to illegal possession of a firearm. The 58-year-old, who is an outspoken supporter of Ukraine and a convicted felon, could end up sentenced to life in prison if found guilty.
A senior US law enforcement official has confirmed to NBC News that the pair were father and a son.
According to the complaint, Oran Routh’s home in Guilford County was searched on Saturday “in connection with an investigation unrelated to child exploitation.”
A spokesperson for the local US Attorney’s Office told ABC News that the probe in question was the one against Routh’s father.
"Hundreds” of files showing the sexual exploitation of minors were discovered on two Samsung phones at Oran Routh’s residence, the prosecutors said.
The materials on the first device included “videos from a known child pornography series created outside the state of North Carolina” of a man with a “prepubescent” girl under the age of 10, the complaint read.
The second phone contained more illegal video files, with one of them showing a woman with a girl aged between 6 and 8, it noted.
The prosecutors said that a messaging app that is “commonly used by individuals, who distribute and receive child pornography” was installed on the device. A message had been forwarded from that phone asking for a preview of digital content for sale, with two files of adults engaging in sexual acts with minors being sent in response, they added.
During the search, the FBI agents also seized cocaine, MDMA and ketamine at Routh’s home, which led to him also being charged with possession of drugs.
According to NBC News, at least 39 criminal cases have been filed against Oran Routh in North Carolina over a 17-year period. He had previously been charged with several traffic violations, possession of illegal drugs and assaulting a female, which resulted in him being slapped with an 18-month probation in 2018.
