A Portland Fire & Rescue lieutenant was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into allegations that he sent sexually explicit messages and images to a minor, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Police identified the man as Vincent Ramon Alvarez, 59, of Portland. Detectives with the Portland Police Bureau’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested Alvarez on May 6 at the Northeast Portland fire station where he worked as a lieutenant, authorities said.
According to investigators, the case began in March 2025 when the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a minor who alleged that an adult man had sent her inappropriate messages and sexually explicit photographs.
The Portland Police Bureau said its ICAC Unit began reviewing the case April 15, 2026, after receiving reports related to online communications that allegedly dated back to October 2024.
Through the investigation, detectives allegedly connected some of the communications to a Portland Fire & Rescue station in Northeast Portland and identified Alvarez as the suspected sender, according to police.
Authorities said Alvarez was interviewed by detectives before being booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on allegations of luring a minor and first-degree official misconduct.
As of Wednesday, formal charging decisions had not been publicly announced by prosecutors.
Police have not released additional information regarding the allegations or said whether investigators believe there may be additional victims.
The Portland Police Bureau stated that the investigation is unrelated to another recent case involving a different Portland firefighter arrested in a separate investigation several weeks ago.
The bureau also credited the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assisting in the investigation.
The case remains under investigation.
