A 25-year-old Kent man is facing serious charges after prosecutors say a quick Target run in Bellevue turned into something far more disturbing. According to court documents, the man allegedly stalked underage girls through the aisles, secretly using his cellphone to record upskirt photos and videos. A customer confronted him inside the store, authorities say, and police later arrested him, with felony charges filed this week.
According to KOMO News, prosecutors charged Yunus Mensur Nuru on June 18 with first-degree child molestation, first-degree voyeurism and attempted first-degree voyeurism tied to incidents at the Bellevue Target on June 6. Court records say store surveillance video shows a man trailing young girls and angling a phone to capture images under their skirts or shorts without their knowledge. Prosecutors asked a judge to keep bail at $200,000 and to impose conditions that would bar him from contact with minors and restrict his access to Target stores across King County.
The Bellevue Police Department says the investigation is still active and that detectives believe there may be more victims who have not come forward. In a public notice, the Bellevue Police Department shared contact information for tips or footage at [email protected] or 425-577-5656 and urged anyone with information to reach out. Prosecutors say Target loss-prevention staff first flagged the suspicious behavior and provided surveillance footage to investigators.
What Prosecutors Allege
The criminal complaint centers on two incidents that prosecutors say unfolded at the store on June 6. According to the filings, two 13-year-old girls were followed and secretly recorded while they shopped. A younger child, believed to be about 6 years old, was allegedly molested while looking at toys when the suspect positioned himself and recorded up the child’s dress.
Court papers say the man moved around the aisles to avoid drawing attention and repeatedly scanned for other customers while he recorded. After the alleged molestation of the younger child, prosecutors say the suspect started heading back toward one of the earlier victims, but he took off after a customer confronted him. Bellevue police arrested him on June 16, according to prosecutors, as reported by KOMO News.
Charges Under State Law
Under Washington law, child molestation in the first degree is a class A felony when it involves sexual contact with a child under 12 years old. First-degree voyeurism, which includes secretly recording another person’s intimate areas without their consent, is a class C felony. The charging documents cite RCW 9A.44.083 and RCW 9A.44.115.
What Comes Next
The case has been filed in King County Superior Court, where an arraignment and any bail hearings will set the next round of public proceedings and define conditions of release, if any. If he is convicted, the defendant could face lengthy prison time on the most serious counts, though the outcome will depend on how the evidence plays out in court and whether prosecutors file any additional charges.
Bellevue police and prosecutors are asking anyone who believes they may have been targeted at the Bellevue Target, or who has video or other information related to the incidents, to contact the department at [email protected] or 425-577-5656. Store managers and shoppers are also encouraged to report suspicious behavior to loss-prevention staff so surveillance footage can be preserved for investigators.
