



BELLEVUE, Wash. – The arrest of a Bellevue man has prompted police to increase their focus on child predators.



The Bellevue Police department says a 64-year-old man was arrested early Wednesday after a months-long investigation. Police say they were tipped off about the suspect by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.



The department says this is the second arrest for child pornography in just over a month. On July 31, 23-year-old Elliott Butterworth was arrested for dealing and possession of child porn. In that case, detectives found eight laptops, phones and storage devices linked to the distribution of illicit pornography.



Because of these two cases, Bellevue police says more resources are being dedicated to arresting child predators, and that the department is providing additional training to its officers to handle such situations.



“The Bellevue Police Department is expanding its efforts to crack down on these horrific crimes,” Capt. Travess Forbus with the department’s investigations team said. “The increase in investigative hours will lead to more search warrants and arrests.”



The department says predators use the dark web to conceal their efforts, so investigators are asking the public for tips if they see disturbing images.