Detectives arrested two men near Tumwater on child exploitation and human trafficking charges on Wednesday morning.
Stephen R. Johantgen, 19, of Olympia and Timothy S. Harrison, 25, a transient were both taken into custody by detectives from the Washington State Patrol Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force without incident, according to a Washington State Patrol press release.
The release states the investigation began after staff with WSP’s Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit in coordination with the Department of Social and Health Services gained information that two runaways from a state care facility were possibly being trafficked for sex.
With support from WSP’s High Tech Crime Unit and Criminal Investigation Division, detectives with the task force located one of the runaways on Tuesday in downtown Olympia following an undercover operation.
The 15-year-old victim confirmed to detectives one of the suspects was trying to “pimp her out.” She also told investigators that both the suspects had repeatedly sexually assaulted her for the prior several days, according to the release.
Johantgen and Harrison were living in an RV near Tumwater when undercover detectives located them. Another runaway, a 16-year-old girl, was also in the RV at the time of the arrest.
Johantgen and Harrison were both arrested and booked into the Thurston County Jail for promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor and third-degree child rape. Johantgen was also charged with commercial sexual abuse of a minor. Harrison had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest.
Additional charges are possible. Both victims are safe and in the state’s care, according to WSP.
