PORTLAND, Ore. — A Carlton man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of producing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced.
Robert Koester, 59, was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with previously imposed state and federal sentences stemming from related criminal conduct in Oregon and California.
According to federal prosecutors, Koester used his work as a professional photographer to gain the trust of teenage girls pursuing modeling careers before subjecting them to years of sexual abuse and exploitation.
“Koester’s crimes against children are among the worst this district has seen,” Bradford said in a statement. “His violent abuse of these girls created scars they will carry their entire lives, and the images of that abuse will haunt them. I hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice and healing for the victims.”
FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson said the sentence reflects the seriousness of crimes involving the exploitation of children.
“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,” Olson said. “The courage these victims showed in coming forward made this outcome possible.”
According to court documents, Koester operated as a professional photographer and worked with aspiring models through his business, Frank Model Management. Between early 2015 and late 2018, prosecutors said he lured numerous teenage girls, some as young as 15, to his Oregon residence and other locations in Oregon and California by promising opportunities in the fashion industry. In some cases, he paid for the victims’ travel.
While the victims stayed with him for several days to participate in photo shoots, prosecutors said Koester provided them with alcohol and drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and GHB. Authorities said he coerced victims into nude photography sessions, secretly recorded explicit images using hidden cameras, and drugged victims until they were unconscious before sexually and physically assaulting them. Prosecutors said he filmed the assaults and later sold the resulting child sexual abuse material to others.
Investigators said Koester amassed thousands of images documenting the abuse. Court records also state that he sometimes showed victims images of their own abuse while mocking them.
In addition to the prison sentence, federal prosecutors successfully forfeited Koester’s Oregon residence through a civil forfeiture action. The property was sold for approximately $750,000, and authorities also seized a large amount of photography and digital equipment connected to the crimes.
Koester was first arrested by California authorities on Nov. 13, 2018. He later pleaded guilty to related offenses in San Diego County, where he received a 25-year prison sentence, and in Yamhill County, Oregon, where he was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Those sentences will run concurrently with the federal sentence.
A federal grand jury in Portland indicted Koester on six counts of producing child sexual abuse material in July 2019. In August 2020, an additional two-count federal case from the Southern District of California was transferred to Oregon. On March 10, 2026, Koester pleaded guilty to all eight federal counts.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Portland and San Diego field offices, the Carlsbad Police Department, and the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Sussman, Kate Rochat, Mira Chernick, and Julia Jarett.
The case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which focuses on investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
Anyone with information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip through the FBI’s online reporting system.
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