An 18-year-old Ridgefield High School student is facing serious felony charges after court filings say investigators found thousands of nude photos of classmates on his phone, including alleged victims as young as 15. The revelations have shaken the Ridgefield school community and stem from a Clark County criminal investigation that began in April.
According to court documents obtained by KATU, investigators say 18-year-old Dennis Antonov told peers he had roughly 10,000 hidden images and showed some of the photos to other students. The filings list 15 alleged victims by their initials and say Antonov faces dozens of charges, including second-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and disclosing intimate images. Ridgefield Police opened the case after students reported being shown the images, according to the court documents.
One witness told officers Antonov was “actively catfishing someone while they were in the room and asking [two witnesses] what to say to them,” the filings state. Witnesses also told investigators that Antonov first pulled up zoomed-in face shots to prove he had the explicit images, then later revealed full nude photos that a witness said “appeared to be high school-aged students.” Those details come from court records reviewed by KATU.
How Investigators Say The Scheme Worked
Court documents allege Antonov posed online as a girl named “Hazel” during a Ridgefield High School field trip to New York, using that fake persona to coax classmates into sending explicit photos of themselves. Investigators say “Hazel” sent images pulled from Google as bait, while Antonov allegedly relied on apps that spoof phone numbers to hide who was really behind the messages.
A warrant was served on his cellphone on April 29, and an officer downloaded the phone’s data on May 19. According to the filings, that data appeared to show multiple spoofing or social-networking applications installed on the device.
Legal Implications
Under Washington law, possession and distribution of sexual images of minors are treated as serious offenses. Second-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct is classified as a class C felony, and dealing or disseminating such material can lead to even harsher punishment. The relevant statutes and prosecutorial guidance are outlined in RCW 9.68A.
What’s Next
Antonov appeared in court on June 10, where prosecutors asked the judge to set bail at $5,000. According to the filings, he is barred from contacting any minors or alleged victims and is prohibited from using the internet. His arraignment is scheduled for Friday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m., and the case remains before Clark County Superior Court.
In court, the prosecutor said Antonov had been expelled from Ridgefield High School. The district lists Ridgefield High School on its website. The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by Ridgefield Police and Clark County prosecutors.
