Bremerton man falsely accused in child exploitation case was victim of identity theft
BREMERTON, Wash. — A Bremerton man accused by an online group of communicating inappropriately with a juvenile was the victim of criminal impersonation, according to the Bremerton Police Department.
Police said the investigation began June 14 after officers responded to a 911 call involving an online group conducting a self-directed investigation into alleged child exploitation. The group accused the Bremerton man of engaging in inappropriate online communications with a juvenile and confronted him at his home.
Officers collected information from the group and spoke with the man, who fully cooperated with the investigation and voluntarily provided access to his electronic devices, police said.
Detectives later obtained a search warrant and conducted a forensic examination of the devices. They also secured a second warrant for records from the social media platform involved.
After reviewing the available digital evidence, investigators determined the man was not the source of the alleged communications. Police said the activity originated from an IP address in another state, where investigators have identified a potential suspect.
The Bremerton Police Department said it has shared its findings with the FBI and the appropriate law enforcement agency in the suspect’s home state for further investigation.
Police said the man was the victim of criminal impersonation. Detectives intend to seek charges against the suspect in the appropriate jurisdiction once the investigation is complete.
“The public needs to know that internet-related crimes against children require careful, methodical work to ensure evidence is lawfully obtained, and innocent people are not wrongly accused,” the department said in a news release.
Bremerton police said detectives work closely with the Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and follow strict investigative standards in cases involving alleged child exploitation.
The department said it released details of the investigation to underscore the importance of allowing detectives to thoroughly examine evidence before concluding. Police urged the public to allow investigations to run their course while law enforcement gathers and verifies evidence.
