Bremerton man in custody, linked to attempted child trafficking

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, October 18, 2023

A 64-year-old Bremerton man was taken into custody Oct. 18 as the result of an investigation into potential child sexual abuse and trafficking, a Kitsap County sheriff’s report says.

Officials report that the man tried to solicit sex with a 5-year-old child in an online chat room with who he believed was the child’s mother, but his communication was instead with an out-of-state police detective. The suspect also planned to meet with the child’s mother in Bremerton, agreeing to pay for travel between Portland, OR and Kitsap.

The detective notified the Naval Criminal Investigative Service believing the man to be on active duty, and the sheriff’s office was notified when it was determined the suspect had retired from the military.

KCSO detectives placed the suspect under arrest at a hotel where he was staying.