EUGENE, Ore. — An Albany man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for attempting to receive child sexual abuse material from an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl online.
Paul Chapple, 62, was sentenced to 102 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Court documents say Chapple engaged in sexual conversations online with multiple people he believed were girls younger than 15. One of those individuals was an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Investigators said Chapple sent sexually explicit images, discussed traveling across the country to meet the purported minor and requested child sexual abuse material. He used the Meet24 platform under a profile that listed his age as 50 and displayed his photograph.
On Oct. 8, 2025, Chapple was charged with using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, possession and receipt of child pornography, and enticement of a minor.
That same day, FBI agents searched the shared housing complex where Chapple lived. Investigators found multiple images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, along with numerous online conversations with people who identified themselves as minors and in which Chapple requested such material.
Chapple was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on Oct. 9, 2025.
On June 17, 2026, Chapple pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren prosecuted the case.
Federal officials emphasized that child sexual abuse material documents actual crimes committed against children. The distribution and viewing of such material can further traumatize victims by repeatedly exposing records of their abuse.
Anyone with information concerning 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.
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state and local resources to investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit children while working to identify and rescue victims.
Officials also encourage the public to learn more about child exploitation and victim resources through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood program.
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