CBP officers stopped Alec Adams, 30, on his arrival back from a trip to Iceland. Prosecutors say a search of his phone uncovered images depicting child sex abuse.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Depoe Bay man on probation for luring a minor now faces a federal charge for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, after customs agents searched his phone upon his return from a trip abroad.
Alec Joseph Adams, 30, flew into the Portland International Airport on Oct. 28 on his return trip from Reykjavik, Iceland. During a customs inspection, according to federal prosecutors, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection learned that Adams was on probation in Lincoln County after being convicted of luring a minor and online sexual corruption of a child.
Adams is a registered sex offender, and court records show that he was convicted earlier this year of failing to report as required. His original convictions stem from an arrest in 2024, when he arranged to meet for sexual contact with someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy — it was actually a Toledo police officer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said that CBP officers at the airport conducted a “basic media examination” of Adams’ phone during the inspection last week. The search uncovered suspected CSAM, prompting customs to flag Homeland Security Investigations for further review.
“According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, investigators observed multiple images and video thumbnails depicting nude prepubescent and pubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct in a hidden folder on Adams’ phone,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Though the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures usually forbids law enforcement from even a cursory search of someone’s digital devices without a warrant, CBP policy maintains that such searches are consistent with “longstanding practice” for border enforcement, and the matter has never gone before the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether it might present a constitutional violation.
Federal investigators later did obtain a search warrant for Adams’ phone; on a closer inspection, prosecutors said, they found more videos showing the sexual abuse of young children, and court documents describe videos of child engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults.
Adams was charged with one count of possession of child pornography, punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a lifetime term of supervised release.
CBP and HSI investigated the case, and it is being prosecuted by the District of Oregon’s Special Prosecutions Unit.
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