Longview police arrested a man on Wednesday who is suspected of receiving sexually explicit photos last year from a girl who was 13.
Patrick Wade Newman III, 29, a Longview-area transient was booked on suspicion of sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography and viewing child pornography, all felonies.
Longview police Detective Sgt. Chris Blanchard said police believe Newman began a relationship with the alleged victim through social media sometime in the fall. The two sent images both ways "for a period of weeks to months," Blanchard said.
According to his probable cause statement, Newman sent sexually explicit messages and requests for photos and videos to the alleged victim, who told him she was 15, and asked to meet her in person.
Police reports say Newman asked the alleged victim: "You are 15 right? Like if your (sic) 14, it's cool. I won't mind."
He also asked about specific sex acts, according to police records, and told the alleged victim "the difference in fun and a felony is asking beforehand."
When arrested, Newman told police that he does not communicate with anyone under the age of 16, which is the age of consent for participation in sexual activity in Washington.
"We were alerted in December of 2018," Blanchard said, "and so it took a while to get the necessary background information and search warrants. Social media warrants can take quite a while. And there wasn't an initial rush because the victim was no longer being victimized by this person."
As far as police know, the interactions stopped in December, Blanchard said.
Officers were alerted to the case because the alleged victim's mother discovered evidence on her daughter's cell phone, Blanchard said. Officers matched photos sent by Newman to images on his social media accounts, jail records and Department of Licensing photo to confirm his identity.
The investigation is ongoing, but "as far as we know currently, it was all online," Blanchard said.
The alleged victim's city of residence is not known.
Newman was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail Thursday in lieu of $15,000 bail. He is scheduled to enter a plea on May 14. His felony history in Cowlitz County appears to be a single conviction for possession of heroin in 2014.
