The Lane County Sheriff's Office, which is part of the Lane County Courthouse complex, on July 29, 2026.
Rebecca Hansen-White / KLCC
A Lane County deputy who was arrested last week on child exploitation charges has resigned from the sheriff’s office.
Dylan Ford, 29, was arrested by the FBI for allegedly exchanging explicit messages and videos with multiple children under the age of 16. He was also accused of impersonating a colleague while talking to children online.
Ford has been under investigation by the FBI and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office since late June, when Lane County received a tip that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor in another county.
A federal judge last week ordered his detention.
Ford had been on unpaid administrative leave. In a news release Monday, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said Ford had resigned, but the internal investigation was ongoing. The findings will be sent to the state’s Standards and Training Board, which will consider whether to revoke his corrections officer certification.
Ford had worked at the Lane County Sheriff’s Office for seven-and-a-half years. He is not listed as working at any other departments in the state’s law enforcement database.
In a statement last week, Lane County Sheriff Carl Wilkerson said his office was fully cooperating with the criminal investigation.
“I am very sad and disgusted by this conduct, but I am committed to the protection of our community and to holding all offenders accountable,” Wilkerson said.
The sheriff’s office urged anyone with additional information to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.
Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
