A months-long child sexual-exploitation investigation has ended with a 38-year-old Moses Lake man in jail after Othello police say a sexually explicit video led them to his door and to a woman who says she was still a minor when it was recorded. Officers took the suspect into custody at a Moses Lake residence, and he remains behind bars while detectives continue working the case.
Arrest and charges
According to Apple Valley News Now, Othello police arrested the man at his home on West Fox Street in Moses Lake and booked him into the Franklin County Jail. The Othello Police Department, working with Moses Lake police, told the outlet the 38-year-old faces charges that include sexual exploitation of a minor, second- and third-degree rape of a child, and first-degree possession of and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The report states the woman in the video is now 20 years old and told detectives she was 15 when the footage was shot. She also told investigators she first met the suspect when she was 13.
Allegations and investigation
Police say the arrest grew out of a months-long probe focused on the explicit material and the contacts surrounding it. The case lands amid a run of child-sex and online-contact investigations in the Columbia Basin this spring, including a separate Moses Lake case in early June. That earlier incident, reported by alleged inappropriate online contact, involved allegations that triggered a Major Crimes investigation.
What the law says
Under Washington law, possession of and dealing in depictions of minors in sexually explicit conduct are treated as serious felony offenses. RCW Chapter 9.68A defines first-degree crimes for possessing or dealing in such depictions and allows prosecutors to file a separate count for each individual image or video. First-degree possession is classified as a class B felony. Convictions can bring significant prison time and other penalties under the state's sentencing guidelines, and local prosecutors will determine whether to move forward with formal charges in this case.
Next steps and resources
Othello police told Apple Valley News Now the investigation is still active as detectives continue to gather evidence and look for additional witnesses. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Othello Police Department.
Survivors or community members seeking support can call New Hope's 24-hour hotline at 1-888-560-6027 or visit New Hope for confidential advocacy and services in Grant and Adams counties.
