12 arrested in Washington multiagency child exploitation investigation

Caitlyn Freeman, The Seattle Times on Aug 28, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SEATTLE — Twelve people were arrested in Battle Ground, Clark County, over the weekend in a multiagency child exploitation operation, according to the Washington State Patrol.

State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force led “Operation Battle Ground” from Friday to Monday, involving 60 officers from 20 agencies, a news release said.

The crimes investigated include attempted first- and second-degree child rape, communication with a minor for immoral purposes and sexual exploitation of a minor. The Clark County prosecutor's office will examine the cases and determine whether to file criminal charges.

No other details about the operation were immediately available.

These targeted operations underscore the alarming extent of predators seeking to exploit children,” Battle Ground police Chief Dennis Flynn said in a statement.

Of those arrested, ranging in ages 24 to 61, five are from Washington, six are from Oregon and one is from New York. In Washington, they include a 40-year-old in Vancouver; a 43-year-old in Goldendale, Klickitat County; a 31-year-old in Brush Prairie, Clark County; a 57-year-old in Liberty Lake, Spokane County; and a 31-year-old in Longview, Cowlitz County.

The Seattle Times typically does not name suspects until they have been formally charged with a crime

"This operation is a powerful example of what we can accomplish when local, state, and federal agencies come together with a common goal: protecting our most vulnerable, State Patrol Chief John Batiste said in a statement.