Arlington, Washington, Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

          A 36-year-old Arlington, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  JAMES C. OVERTON pleaded guilty in January 2019, admitting he used internet messaging applications to have sexual communications with young girls.  OVERTON met one 13-year-old girl online and, during the years that followed, convinced her to exchange sexually explicit photos.  When she was 15, he took her to Olympic National Park for sexual conduct.  At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said OVERTON engaged in “a pattern of exploitation… this is a serious offense that affects real people.”

            According to records filed in the case, OVERTON communicated using the internet with a number of young teens and preteens, attempting to have sexualized conversations with them.  Over a period of time, he groomed the 13-year-old for sex and took advantage of her precarious emotional and psychological condition.  In November 2016, OVERTON picked up the then-15-year-old from a location near her home and took her into Olympic National Park where he had her engage in sexual conduct.  The teen’s family ultimately reported the conduct to law enforcement.  When investigators got a court-authorized search warrant for OVERTON’s home and digital devices, they also recovered evidence of more than 100 images of child pornography.  OVERTON had attempted to delete the images, but evidence remained on his devices.

            OVERTON admitted he had communicated online with a number of young teens between the ages of 12 and 15 in addition to the victim of the sexual assault.  Many of those conversations were sexual and involved his trying to obtain sexually explicit videos and images.  OVERTON will be required to register as a sex offender.

            The case was investigated by the National Park Service and Homeland Security Investigations.

           This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources better to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.