Oran Alexander Routh, the son of Ryan Wesley Routh who is accused of attempting to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, was taken into custody over possession of child pornography in North Carolina, according to local prosecutors. Court records show that Oran Routh, aged 35, was arrested on Tuesday after being charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography the previous day.
Public records indicate that Oran Routh is the son of Ryan Routh, who was indicted on charges of trying to assassinate Trump in mid-September. Ryan Routh faces several other charges related to the illegal possession of a firearm. The 58-year-old man, an outspoken supporter of Ukraine and a convicted felon, could face life imprisonment if found guilty. A senior US law enforcement official has confirmed to NBC News that Oran and Ryan Routh are father and 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.” The probe in question was against his father, as stated by a spokesperson for the local US Attorney’s Office, which told ABC News.
During the search of Oran Routh’s residence, authorities discovered “hundreds” of files showing the sexual exploitation of minors on two Samsung phones. The materials on the first device included “videos from a known child pornography series created outside the state of North Carolina” featuring a man with a “prepubescent” girl under the age of 10.
The second phone contained more illegal video files, with one of them depicting a woman with a girl aged between 6 and 8. Prosecutors noted that a messaging app commonly used by individuals who distribute and receive child pornography was installed on the device, adding that a message had been forwarded from that phone asking for a preview of digital content for sale, to which two files of adults engaging in sexual acts with minors were sent in response.
FBI agents also seized cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine at Routh’s home during the search, leading to him being charged with possession of drugs as well. NBC News reported that 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 placed on an 18-month probation in 2018.