2 charged in child kidnapping plot and sex-abuse ‘shrine’ in Pierce County probe
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- A couple is accused of a child kidnapping plot and possessing child pornography images.
- William James Moore II and Hailey Rose Davidson, of Yelm, face multiple charges.
- Not guilty pleas were entered on their behalf. Their bail is set at $2.5 million each.
A Yelm couple accused of plotting to kidnap children locally and out of state for sexual purposes also face charges for allegedly possessing pornographic images of children, including several secretly recorded videos of girls changing in and out of swimsuits in a public bathroom, prosecutors say.
William James Moore II and Hailey Rose Davidson, both 28, were charged Monday with attempted kidnapping, attempted child molestation and five counts of possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to court records. Davidson also was charged with four counts of dealing in such material.
Pleas of not guilty were entered on their behalf during arraignments Monday in Pierce County Superior Court. Bail for both defendants was set at $2.5 million.
“The risk that this defendant poses to the community is extreme,” deputy prosecuting attorney Matt Thomas said in arguing for Moore’s bail. “Mr. Moore is charged today based off of finding, effectively, just children out in the community, targeting them, stalking them and their families and making plans to kidnap and molest them.”
Thomas said that victims were unaware of Moore’s alleged plans because he targeted them without their knowledge.
“Ms. Davidson is every bit the risk to our community’s children as Mr. Moore is,” he added.
Legal counsel for Moore and Davidson declined to respond during the hearing.
Tips in mid-October about the pair’s alleged online activity prompted the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office to investigate, leading to the discovery of disturbing files, “a shrine” dedicated to child sexual-abuse material at their home and the revelation that Moore in particular had been seeking a child to drug, kidnap and rape, according to charging papers. The couple had lived in Pierce County and moved to Yelm in about May, court records show.
The tips reported that nearly 650 files of child pornography material were uploaded to Google between April 2024 and May this year. The uploads were traced to Moore through his phone number, and the IP address associated with the Google account led to a Comcast subscription for him, charging papers said.
In an interview with law enforcement, Davidson said that the Google account was jointly accessed and used by Moore and her and that both were aware of its contents, court records show.
Authorities reviewed 27 folders associated with the defendants, including one titled, “Littles,” that maintained thousands of images of children, as young as infants, either naked or fully clothed, according to court records. There were also several videos allegedly of Davidson filming herself masturbating while watching clearly visible child pornography videos on a tablet; thousands of images depicting animated children engaged in sexual acts or positions; and images digitally edited to show clothed children appear as if they were nude or displaying their genitals, charging papers said.
At least two videos showed the sexual assault of a child, according to authorities.
Davidson allegedly took videos of girls — who appeared unaware of the recordings that were also purportedly found in the Google folders — as they changed in or out of their swimsuits or used the toilet in an adjacent bathroom stall to Davidson, charging papers said.
In an interview with law enforcement, Davidson claimed to be afraid of Moore, who she alleged had previously pointed a gun at her and had pressured her into assisting him find girls for sex.
Davidson told authorities that Moore had been stalking two families with children; he wanted to slip a sleeping medication to a child; the couple had discussed using their storage unit to hold a child for sex; he talked on one or two occasions about molesting or raping his niece; and he was nervous about getting caught for any kidnapping, according to charging papers.
Moore and Davidson had taken a road trip about two years ago to Milwaukee, scoping out neighborhoods and bars, to try to locate a family whom neither knew personally after Moore had found naked photographs of the family’s two daughters on a website, charging papers said.
After law enforcement executed a search warrant at the pair’s home in Yelm, handwritten notes were found that suggested plans for a kidnapping, according to charging papers. Other items were located, including two child sex dolls and assorted underwear that Davidson allegedly told authorities that she and Moore had stolen from strangers at Wild Waves Theme & Water Park in Federal Way.
“Inside the master bedroom’s attached closet, Detectives located a panel in the wall to a hidden void. In the void, detectives found ‘what appeared to be a shrine dedicated to child sexual abuse material,’” charging papers said. “Detectives observed a female child doll on a shelf along with several pieces of artwork depicting nude children. Inside a plastic tub labelled ‘Hailey’s Misc,’ detectives found numerous articles of children’s clothing. On the top shelf, there were several sets of law enforcement style handcuffs.”
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office noted in its filing Monday that the investigation was ongoing and that the state could add charges based on information from the defendants’ electronic devices and the continuing investigation.
News Tribune reporter Puneet Bsanti and photographer Liesbeth Powers contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
