Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Communicated with woman he believed was providing children for sexual abuse; Phone reveals images of sex assault of minor
Seattle – A 40-year-old Pierce County, Washington man appeared today on an indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a minor and production of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Randy Lee Young came into federal custody April 24, 2025. He was arrested November 16, 2024, after allegedly communicating with someone he thought would provide her young daughters to him for sexual assaults. When Young arrived at the proposed meeting place in Marysville, Washington, he was arrested. Forensic review of his cell phone found images of child sexual abuse that he had produced.
Young pleaded ‘not guilty’ in court today and remains detained at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at SeaTac. Trial is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Lauren King on July 14, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, Young began communicating with a law enforcement officer who was posing as the mother of 8 and 11-year-old daughters. Between November 8 and 15 2024, Young communicated with the law enforcement officer via text messaging multiple times. Ultimately Young drove from his residence in Pierce County to the location in Marysville where he was arrested. Young was held in the Snohomish County Jail until the federal charges were filed.
Young gave permission for law enforcement to review his cell phone. On the phone investigators found images of sexual abuse of a minor. The investigation revealed that in October and November 2024, Young met a minor online, traveled to her hometown in southwest Washington seven times and videotaped sex acts with the 13-year-old. Text messages reveal that the victim had told Young her age.
Attempted enticement of a minor is punishable by up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum ten years imprisonment. Production of images of child sexual abuse is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Seattle’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United Stats Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.