Detectives are investigating whether a babysitter and former lifeguard, charged last week for taking sexually explicit photos of a child in his care, may have victimized other children in the Seattle area.
On October 10th, King County Prosecutors charged Antonio Diego Brugnoli-Baskin, 23, with sexual exploitation of a minor, as well as dealing and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
While SPD does not typically name suspects on the Blotter, detectives have learned Brugnoli-Baskin has worked around children for several years, and police are now investigating to determine whether he may have victimized other children and families.
Detectives began investigating Brugnoli-Baskin after receiving a series of tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about photos and videos of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) uploaded to the internet from a Seattle address. When SPD detectives—aided by the FBI and Homeland Security—arrested Brugnoli-Baskin, police recovered CSAM material, some of which involved at least one child who had been in his care.
Most recently, Brugnoli-Baskin advertised as childcare provider through the Care.com website for families in Magnolia and Wallingford. Between 2018 and 2020, he was employed as a lifeguard and swim instructor at public pools in Magnolia and Queen Anne, as a ski instructor at Snoqualmie Pass, and at the Wallingford Farmer’s Market.
Police continue to investigate Brugnoli-Baskin and search for any evidence involving other children and families in Seattle.
Any families whose children may have been left in Brugnoli-Baskin’s care can contact SPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children detective at christine.nichols@seattle.gov.