21-year-old Puyallup man arrested, charged with producing images of child sexual abuse

FBI agents have arrested a 21-year-old Puyallup man suspected of producing and distributing images of child sexual abuse.

The man was detained Wednesday night upon his arrival at Sea-Tac International Airport.

Charging documents filed by federal prosecutors state that an investigation against him started this summer; in June, a federal agent noticed a user on an online platform distributing child pornography. Further research revealed that the same user had also made claims of sexual abuse against young relatives.

After linking the online user to the 21-year-old man, investigators obtained warrants and searched his Puyallup home Tuesday, records state. Upon realizing that the man would be returning from Amsterdam the following day, the agents confronted him at the airport.

The suspect agreed to an interview after being advised of his civil rights, according to the court documents. The man admitted sexually abusing relatives as young as 4 years old, photographing the abuse, and distributing the pictures on online message boards, records state. At the end of the interview, he was arrested.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, the Puyallup man is charged with two crimes: one count of producing child pornography, and one count of transporting it. If convicted, he would face a mandatory prison sentence of at least 20 years.