JonBenét Ramsey Photographer to Walk Free as Child Porn Charges Dismissed



Eugene, Or. - April 14, 2026 — Randall DeWitt Simons, the former photographer known for taking some of the last images of murdered child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey, is expected to walk free this week as Lane County prosecutors formally entered a motion to dismiss all charges against him today. 

SIMONS - OREGON DOC

Simons was transferred today from Two Rivers Correctional Institution and booked into the Lane County Jail solely to attend today's procedural court hearing. At today's hearing, his 2019 conviction on 15 counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse (ORS 163.684) was officially motioned to be dismissed. Simons, now 73, represented himself pro se during the brief proceeding.
The case collapsed following a landmark Oregon Supreme Court ruling on March 26, 2026. In State v. DeWitt Simons, 375 Or 70 (2026), the court held that police violated Simons’ rights under Article I, section 9 of the Oregon Constitution by directing a year-long warrantless surveillance of his internet activity over the free Wi-Fi at an Oakridge A&W restaurant. Without the crucial A&W Wi-Fi logs and derived evidence, prosecutors have acknowledged the case is “fatally compromised” and must be dismissed.
Writing for the majority, Justice Bronson D. James ruled that individuals retain a protected privacy interest in their internet browsing activity, even when using a public Wi-Fi network and agreeing to terms-of-service notices that warn of potential monitoring. The court rejected the state’s argument that no reasonable expectation of privacy existed in such circumstances, emphasizing that modern life requires internet access and that society does not accept unrestricted government surveillance simply because a private business could theoretically monitor traffic.
The decision reversed the Oregon Court of Appeals and remanded the case to Lane County Circuit Court. A partial dissent was filed by Justice Bushong.
Simons had maintained his innocence on the child pornography-related charges, which stemmed from 255,723 logged webpage visits allegedly showing access to illegal material. He had no prior criminal record tied to the Ramsey case.
Once the dismissal is entered in court, Simons will be released from the Lane County Jail as a free man.
The ruling is seen as a significant victory for digital privacy rights in Oregon, reinforcing the state’s stronger protections compared to federal Fourth Amendment standards in an era of widespread public Wi-Fi use.
Information from LCSO, jail records, and the Oregon Judicial Smart Search

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