Two Oregon men were arrested after allegedly traveling to Washougal for meetings they believed would involve sex with a minor, according to police. The case placed a Hillsboro man and a Beaverton man in the middle of an undercover child-exploitation investigation across the Columbia River.
Ryan Culvert, 32, of Hillsboro, and William Galeana Yovis, 25, of Beaverton, were booked into Clark County Jail after arriving at agreed-upon locations in Washougal, as detailed by OregonLive. Police said the men negotiated and arranged to meet with a minor in exchange for money for sexual activity, and each faces charges of attempted rape of a child and attempted sexual abuse of a minor. A review of the jail roster Wednesday did not show either man in custody, according to the report.
The arrests come as law enforcement agencies around the Portland-Vancouver region continue to publicize investigations involving alleged online solicitation and exploitation of minors. On July 1, the Vancouver Police Department announced charges against a 20-year-old man accused of exploiting teenage girls he met through social media.
What The Charges Mean
Under Washington law, an attempted crime requires prosecutors to prove that a suspect intended to commit a specific offense and took a substantial step toward doing so, according to the Washington Legislature. The allegations against Culvert and Yovis have not been proven in court, and additional court records or formal charging details were not immediately available.
