Photographer Who Drugged, Sexually Assaulted Models as Young as 15, Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
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An Oregon photographer has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after drugging and sexually assaulting multiple teenage models, some as young as 15
Robert Koester, 59, received his sentence on Tuesday, Aug. 4, after pleading guilty to eight counts of production of child sexual abuse material in March, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon said in a press release
He used his position as a photographer to earn the trust of teenage girls before drugging them and recording himself assaulting them
A photographer from Carlton, Ore., has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release after he drugged and sexually assaulted teenage models.
Robert Koester, 59, pleaded guilty to eight counts of production of child sexual abuse material in March and was sentenced on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
“Koester’s crimes against children are among the worst this district has seen,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, in a press release. “His violent abuse of these girls created scars they will carry their entire lives, and the images of that abuse will haunt them.”
Per the release, Koester used his position as a photographer to earn the trust of teenage girls interested in modeling, enticing them to locations across Oregon and California with the promise of a career through his agency.
He offered the victims alcohol and drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, and coerced them into taking part in nude photo shoots by showing them images of naked models, the Attorney’s Office said.
Koester took photos of the victims, some as young as 15, in revealing positions and used hidden cameras to capture more explicit images without their knowledge.
The photographer drugged some of the girls with intoxicants including GHB and abused them sexually and physically — sometimes strangling and slapping them — while they were unconscious. He would then record the assaults.
He also coerced some of the girls into taking part in sexual acts with him while they were awake, per the Attorney’s Office.
Authorities found a large collection of the child sexual abuse material he produced, comprising thousands of images, and sold some of it to other people. Several victims reported that he showed them images of their own abuse while laughing.
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Koester was first arrested by authorities in California in November 2018. In July 2019, he was charged with six counts of production of child sexual abuse material, with a further two charges coming in August 2020, the Attorney’s Office said.
The photographer has previously faced related cases in San Diego and in Oregon’s Yamhill County, where he received additional sentences of 25 and 50 years in prison, respectively.
Those sentences will run concurrently with the federal sentence imposed Tuesday.
“Koester used his role as a photographer to gain the trust of young people who were simply looking for a chance to pursue their dreams, and he exploited that trust,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson in the release.
“The courage these victims showed in coming forward made this outcome possible, and we stand with them as they continue to heal.”
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If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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