Newberg Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison in Child Pornography Case

EUGENE, OR—A former golf instructor from Newberg was sentenced this morning after pleading guilty to one count of producing child pornography. Rodney Mead Pelling, 68, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken to 25 years in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Pelling will be subject to a number of conditions of supervision, including a requirement that he register as a sex offender. Pelling now faces sentencing in Yamhill and Deschutes Counties, following pleas of guilty to sex abuse charges brought in each county.

Pelling came to the attention of law enforcement officers after he was seen engaging in inappropriate behavior with a 12-year-old girl at a motel in Sisters, Oregon. The ensuing investigation revealed that Pelling traveled throughout Oregon with the girl, creating numerous sexually explicit images of the minor both at his residence in Yamhill County, and at hotels in various counties throughout Oregon between April 9, 2007 and May 4, 2008.

At the sentencing hearing, Pelling asked his victim for forgiveness, claiming that “a perfect storm of factors,” including medication he was taking, led to behavior that he claimed was beyond his control. Describing this as “an extraordinary case,” Judge Aiken responded that his compulsive behavior “may be an explanation, but is not an excuse.”

“The threats to children are all too real, but it is particularly disturbing when the threat comes from within the family,” said U.S. Attorney Dwight C. Holton. “I commend the extraordinary efforts of the federal, state, and county law enforcement officers and prosecutors whose hard work made certain that this defendant will not victimize any other child.”

This case was investigated by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Sussman and AnneMarie Sgarlata.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.