An Oakridge man charged with 15 counts of child pornography, who once photographed the child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey, was released from the Lane County Jail after his attorney expressed fear the 67-year-old could contract COVID-19.

Randall De Witt Simons has been in the jail since July 2 after a year-long investigation by Springfield and Oakridge police. He’s charged with 15 counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. Simons’ trial is scheduled to begin May 12.

Last week, however, his attorney Rosalind Lee filed a motion in Lane County Circuit Court for Simons’ release, citing heart problems and his age.

"Mr. Simons is at significant risk of contracting and, due to his age and underlying medical conditions, dying from COVID-19, a highly contagious viral infection that is sweeping through Oregon and Lane County," the motion reads. "Mr. Simons is amenable to electronic monitoring and other reasonable conditions to ensure his return to court."

The motion states Simons received a pacemaker last month and suffers from heart disease.

The motion was granted Friday. He was released on his own recognizance because he and his family can not afford bail, the motion states.

Simons was arrested last year after authorities began investigating a report from an Oakridge restaurant that someone had been using the restaurant’s WiFi to download inappropriate and concerning images.

According to a 1998 article circulated by The Associated Press, Simons had been a photographer for the 6-year-old Colorado beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey a few months before her still-unsolved 1996 murder. He later sold a portfolio of photos showing Ramsey in makeup and curls for $7,500, telling reporters his career was probably in jeopardy because of the controversy the sale created.

In October 1998, Simons was arrested on a charge of indecent exposure in Lincoln County, Colo. According to the book "Perfect Murder, Perfect Town" by Lawrence Schiller, Simons was arrested in 1998 for allegedly walking nude down a residential street in the small town of Genoa, Colo. Simons allegedly offered to the arresting deputy unprovoked, "I didn’t kill JonBenét."

Contact reporter Chelsea Deffenbacher at cdeffenbacher@registerguard.com or 541-338-2354, and follow her on Twitter @ChelseaDeffenB and Instagram @registerguard. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.