Former Portland babysitter sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for creating, distributing child pornography

Kayla Dee Lester, 31, was found to have taken sexually explicit photos of an 8-year-old child and sending them to numerous people she had met online.

According to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, Lester took the photos in 2020 before proceeding to forward them to others via Whisper, a social media app on which users can anonymously post media.

She was caught soon after, and during an interview with police, admitted that she had used the app to meet others interested in obtaining child pornography, and hoped to solicit the illegal material by sending images of her own.

The gender of the victim was not revealed, nor was it made clear whether the child had been in her care at the time they were photographed.

On September 17, 2020, a federal grand jury in Medford, Oregon indicted Lester on three counts of using a minor to produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct, distributing, and possessing child pornography.

Lester pleaded guilty to the charge of distribution on May 10, 2023, and was granted pretrial release as she awaited sentencing. Less than two months later, however, her release was revoked after police discovered that she had violated the terms of the agreement by possessing a cell phone with internet access.

A further investigation revealed that the phone contained nude images of her and other adults, as well as 44 videos of child pornography and "chats between Lester and others wherein she described sexually abusing her 8-year-old victim."

After leaving federal prison at the end of her sentence, Lester will be subjected to 20 years of supervised release.

Online, Lester advertised herself as a "full-time child care provider," and charged $14.20 per hour.