The son of the man accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump on his golf course has been arrested in connection with a child sexual abuse image case.
Oran Alexander Routh was charged in federal court Monday with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Court documents from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina show he was arrested Tuesday and no attorney was scheduled to defend him.
Public records show that Oran Routh is the son of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man authorities believed planned to kill Trump at the former president’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15. A senior U.S. law enforcement official also confirmed the father-son connection to NBC News after the younger Routh was arrested.
Ryan Routh was charged Tuesday with attempting to kill Trump, the Justice Department announced. He also faces charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and assault on a Secret Service agent, according to federal prosecutors.
Ryan Routh is in custody awaiting trial and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The criminal complaint filed against Oran Routh states that his North Carolina home was raided in connection with a separate case. It is unclear whether that case related to the investigation into his father.
The FBI raided Oran Routh’s North Carolina home on Saturday, reportedly uncovering “hundreds” of files containing child sexual abuse images after examining an SD card in a Samsung phone found in his bedroom, according to a criminal complaint.
The files included videos from a “known” series that includes videos of an adult man with a “prepubescent” girl under the age of 10, the complaint said.
According to the complaint, a second Samsung phone was found in Routh’s possession, which contained a downloaded folder containing additional video files. Investigators said they observed a video of an adult female with a 6- to 8-year-old girl.
The complaint also says investigators found a messaging app on the phone that is “commonly used by individuals who distribute and receive child pornography.” The person who sent messages from the phone asked for a preview of the digital content being sold, the complaint says.
Two cases were then forwarded, both involving adults engaging in sexual acts with minors, the complaint states.
An arrest warrant was filed in federal court on Monday.
Routh was also charged with drug possession the same day federal agents confiscated his devices and later discovered child pornography, according to North Carolina court records. Law enforcement seized cocaine, MDMA and ketamine, as well as gold and black trays containing a white powdery substance at his home, leading to two felony charges and two misdemeanor charges for possession, records show.
The case is one of at least 39 criminal cases filed over a period of about 17 years against Oran Routh in North Carolina, primarily in Guilford County, which includes the city of Greensboro. He previously faced charges of multiple traffic violations, drug possession and assault on a woman.
The fate of each case was not immediately clear. In 2018, Oran pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Court documents show that Oran Routh is in federal custody. As of Tuesday morning, no preliminary hearing had been scheduled and he had not entered a plea.
Nicole Duarte contributed.
