A 32-year-old man and 46-year-old woman were arrested in Lake Stevens on Wednesday following an SPD, Lake Stevens Police Department and Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation involving a 4-year-old victim.
SPD’s ICAC Unit is the lead agency for the Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and receives all CyberTips for Washington State. The unit received a ‘Priority 1’ CyberTip on April 16 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, indicating there may be imminent or ongoing harm to a child.
Seattle Police Department investigators (ICAC) began digging into the information provided from the tip, which suggested that Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) being sent and received through a social media app was being produced, not just shared, and involved a 4-year-old victim.
The SPD ICAC Unit continued working to quickly track down more information related to the tip. They narrowed down the child’s location to the Lake Stevens area and immediately teamed up with other state task force affiliates including the Arlington Police Department, Bothell Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake Stevens Police Department.
Within just hours, the ICAC Task Force identified the man and woman as suspects and developed probable cause. They were arrested by the Snohomish County Violent Offenders Task Force. The child was located, rescued, and immediately taken to safety.
Lt. Ben Morrison is the Seattle Police Department ICAC Unit and Washington ICAC Task Force Commander. He is grateful for the quick work and ongoing commitment by every agency involved, especially the Lake Stevens Police Department, which continues to investigate.
“This was a swift and thorough response that exemplifies the collaborative nature of the WA State ICAC Task Force in its efforts to protect children,” Morrison said.
The suspects confessed to crimes including bestiality and distribution of sexual depictions of a minor. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are expected. Both were booked into the Snohomish County Jail.
Incident Number: 2025-101697
The Seattle Police Department is the Lead Agency for the Washington Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (WA ICAC TF). The WA ICAC TF is a multi-jurisdictional group of agencies dedicated to the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation. Learn more about SPD’s ICAC Unit here.