COLVILLE – Seven men were recently arrested in Eastern Washington over the course of several days as part of an operation identifying individuals allegedly involved in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
The multi-day operation was led by the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office and several partner agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, Washington State Patrol’s Eastern Washington Missing and Exploited Children Task Force and Internet Crimes Against Children affiliates.
Those arrested during the operation, all from Eastern Washington, include:
- Thomas Riehl of Ellensburg
- Spencer Voice of Colville
- Scott Jackson of Addy
- Kaleb Grimm of Addy
- Travis Hiibner of Spokane Valley
- Matthew Roque of Colville
- Jason Frank of Spokane
Charges include:
- Rape of a child in the first degree – attempt
- Rape of a child in the second degree – attempt
- Communication with a minor for immoral purposes
- Sexual Exploitation of a minor
- Commercial sexual abuse of a minor – attempt
“The Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office was proud to be a part of this operation. I want to extend a big thank you to all the State, Federal and local Stevens County law enforcement officers who made this possible,” said Stevens County Prosecutor Erika George. “Offenders who prey on children are some of the most difficult and heinous crimes we face, and going after these specific cases can carry a heavier burden. But these law enforcement agencies face that head on and are relentless and dedicated to sending the message that the exploitation and abuse of children will not be tolerated. The Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office will continue to support these operations to ensure the safety of children in our community.”
“Internet crimes against children are at an all-time high and targeting the individuals that prey on our youth is an absolute high priority for the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Brad Manke. “This operation was aimed at protecting our vulnerable children and making our communities safer. People have asked why we would conduct an operation that would possibly lure predators from other areas to our county for our courts to have to deal with? The answer is simple. A predator is a predator and they need removed from any community on which they may be preying on children. Of the seven men arrested, three were from out of the area. One of those happened to be in the area for a family event,” Manke said. “I whole heartedly thank all the agencies involved, and give special thanks to the US Border Patrol Colville Office for the logistical support.”
Anyone with information related to the suspects is asked to contact Stevens County Sheriff’s Office Detective Denis Yunin by phone or [email protected].
