An Oregon man was arrested Thursday as part of the online undercover operation that the Washington State Patrol’s Missing Exploited Children Task Force, in collaboration with several local and federal partners, ran in Lewis County in November.
The defendant, Paul Douglas Hughes, 49, of Astoria, Oregon, is the 13th person arrested on attempted rape of a child charges as part of the operation.
The initial 12 defendants were arrested in November 2022.
As part of the operation, dubbed “Net Nanny,” detectives communicated undercover with subjects who responded to fake profiles, set up times and places to meet for sex, asked the respondents to bring specific items such as condoms or lube, and arrested them when they showed up to the designated meeting spot.
Undercover detectives posing online as 13 year olds and, in one case, a woman with 10-year-old and 12-year-old daughters, made profiles and posted advertisements on several websites late last week with the goal of “seeking individuals looking for sexual intercourse with minors in Lewis County,” according to court documents.
In Hughes’ case, undercover detectives posed as a 48-year-old woman with 13-year-old and 12-year-old daughters.
Conversations between Hughes and the undercover detectives allegedly began in November and “carried on sporadically” until mid-January, continuing until Hughes’ arrest on Feb. 23, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
Hughes is accused of driving from Astoria, Oregon, to Chehalis with the intention of having sex with two underage girls.
Hughes allegedly agreed to meet the fictional mother and children from the online profile in Chehalis on Jan. 19 and was seen arriving in the area, but reportedly got back into his vehicle and left, returned after about 15 minutes, sat outside on a bench, then left the area without contacting the detective at the meeting spot.
He allegedly arranged to meet them again on Feb. 23, with the detectives instructing Hughes to bring lubricant, park at Penny Playground in Chehalis and walk across the street.
“As he did, he was arrested,” according to the affidavit. Detectives reportedly found lubricant on his person at the time of arrest.
Hughes was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 and has since been charged with one count each of first- and second-degree rape of a child.
Bail was set at $200,000 on Friday.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, March 2.
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Three of the 12 subjects arrested in November have entered guilty pleas in Lewis County Superior Court.
Robert Earl Morrison, 65, of Kelso, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree attempted rape of a child on Dec. 21 after communicating with and then meeting with undercover officers posing as 13 year olds between Nov. 12 and Nov. 13. He was sentenced Jan. 25 to 102 months in prison and is required to pay $600 in court fees. He must also register as a sex offender.
Michael A. Gillette, 31, of Chehalis, pleaded guilty to one count each of second-degree attempted rape of a child and fourth-degree attempted commercial sex abuse of a minor on Feb. 13. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on March 8.
Under the standard sentencing range, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 138 months in prison and a minimum sentence of 76.5 months.
Leonardo Cirilo Tranquilino, 31, of Centralia, pleaded guilty to one count each of second-degree attempted rape of a child and fourth-degree attempted commercial sex abuse of a minor on Dec. 21. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 2.
Under the standard sentencing range, he faces a maximum sentence of 138 months in prison and a minimum sentence of 76.5 months.
Justin Daniel Hinchcliffe, 43, of Olympia; Wayne Allen Rigby, 72, of Shelton; Antonio Tomas Nolasco, 36, of Shelton; and Adislao Cirilo Hernandez, 24, of Centralia, have each pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted rape of a child, communication with a minor for immoral purposes and attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor charges for allegedly communicating and then meeting with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14.
Trial dates had not been set in the Hinchcliffe, Rigby and Case cases as of Monday.
Nolasco’s trial is scheduled to begin April 17.
Cirilo Hernandez’s trial is scheduled to begin June 12.
Douglas Ray Clark, 45, of Rochester; Zachery Earl Case, 21, of Belfair; and Mario Alberto Fernandez, 33, of Napavine, have pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes charges for allegedly communicating and then meeting with undercover officers posing as 13 year olds between Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.
Douglas Clark’s trial is scheduled to begin May 15. Fernandez has a change of plea hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. on April 5.
Tyler David Clark, 23 of Chehalis, was also charged with second-degree attempted rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes but has yet to enter a plea due to competency concerns. A review hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 2.
Gerry Gene Greatreaks, 50, of Vancouver, has pleaded not guilty to first- and second-degree attempted rape of a child for allegedly communicating with an undercover detective posing as the guardian of a 10-year-old female and a 12-year-old female and arranging to meet the two children for sex.
Greatreaks’ jury trial is scheduled to begin July 10.
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In addition to the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, Net Nanny partners included the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, the state Department of Corrections and the police departments for the cities of Chehalis, Longview, Tacoma, Othello and Spokane.
“It is unfortunate that there are some that are actively preying on children. However, it is reassuring to know that so many agencies are willing to respond to help hold those people accountable,” Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer told The Chronicle in an official statement in November. “We are thankful for the federal and state agencies that conducted this operation and the support of multiple local agencies. Coordination of law enforcement partners is vital to help ensure the safety of the people of Lewis County.”
