A 39-year-old Anacortes man pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, admitting he kept dozens of child sexual abuse videos on his laptop and cell phone. Hermie Borres Obillos entered his plea in Skagit County Superior Court after investigators said they found roughly 125 illicit files on his devices during a search of his apartment earlier this year.
Court-document reporting from goSkagit shows the case traces back to March, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security became aware that child pornography was being downloaded in Anacortes, according to court records. Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Obillos’ apartment in June and found about 125 files depicting child sexual abuse material on a laptop and a cell phone, according to court documents.
Obillos acknowledged that he knew the BitTorrent network he used was sharing his downloaded files with others, according to court documents, and he told investigators that getting caught was always on his mind, per the same account. A Homeland Security Investigations agent estimated that girls depicted in the videos were between 6 and 10 years old, according to an earlier report on goskagit.com.
From Arrest to Guilty Plea
Obillos was arrested in Anacortes on August 29 and held at the Skagit County Community Justice Center in Mount Vernon. A judge set his bail at $50,000 two days later, on August 31. He initially pleaded not guilty in September to five counts of first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct before changing his plea this week.
As part of the agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other three counts in exchange for Obillos’ guilty plea on the remaining two, according to court documents. Prosecutors also agreed to recommend 34 months in prison and 36 months of community custody, as well as forfeiture of devices containing illicit images and payment of $1,000 for each depiction Obillos is convicted of possessing, the court filings state. Each count he pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $20,000. Obillos has no prior criminal convictions, per the court record. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19.
How Washington Law Defines the Charge
Washington law defines first-degree possession under RCW 9.68A.070, which makes it a crime to knowingly possess visual or printed matter depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as defined elsewhere in state law. The statute describes the first-degree possession offense under Washington law.
Part of a Larger Pattern in Washington
Obillos’ case follows a string of similar prosecutions across Washington state. A former Kirkland resident was sentenced in 2023 to 13 years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, Western District of Washington. More recently, a Seattle registered sex offender was sentenced in March to three years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possession of child sexual abuse images, the same office said.
The scale of the problem nationally is staggering. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported that its CyberTipline received 1.4 million reports concerning online enticement in 2025, and reports from electronic service providers that year contained 61.8 million images, videos and other files tied to suspected child sexual exploitation, according to the organization. NCMEC also said it escalated more than 53,000 urgent or imminent-danger reports to law enforcement in 2025.
Obillos’ sentencing hearing next month will determine whether the Skagit County court adopts the terms prosecutors have agreed to recommend. Until then, the case remains open, with the forfeiture of his devices and the specifics of his punishment still pending judicial approval.
