A former resident of Fall City, Washington, was sentenced on July 16 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison for possession of images of child sexual abuse, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Paydan Georgy Bussey, age 27, was charged federally in May 2025 after a CyberTip from the Kik platform indicated that he had shared child sexual abuse images with another user. At the time of his federal charge, Bussey had already been arrested in Utah for sexual assault of a child and faced pending charges related to child sexual abuse in King County from 2024.
U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead ordered that Bussey be placed on lifetime supervised release following his prison term. Judge Whitehead said at sentencing, “A lengthy sentence is warranted to protect the public.”
Court records show that as a juvenile, Bussey was convicted of molesting a minor under the age of 12 and required to register as a sex offender until reaching adulthood in 2017. He also underwent sex offender treatment as part of his sentence. In February 2024, Bussey was arrested by King County Sheriff Deputies for rape of a child; this charge remains pending. In October 2024, he was booked into Utah County Jail for sodomy of a child; this charge also remains pending.
The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip from Kik reporting that fifteen images appearing to be child sex abuse material were shared by an account later linked to Bussey’s address through legal process completed by December 2024. A Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer recognized the address from an ongoing King County investigation into similar crimes and obtained a search warrant for Bussey’s electronic devices; investigators found images depicting child sexual abuse on his laptop.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Harmon wrote to the court requesting a nine-year sentence: “Mr. Bussey’s conduct in this case is particularly troubling in light of his prior convictions and that he had successfully completed treatment. This is now his second sex offense, which demonstrates his inability to conform his conduct to the law. The recommendation is appropriate in light of all the facts of this case when taken in light of his personal characteristics.”
The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon—a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor designated specifically for federal prosecution of child exploitation crimes.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington promotes community safety through programs addressing gun violence and online threats; operates offices with about 85 attorneys and 70 support staff located primarily in Seattle and Tacoma; handles federal prosecutions and civil litigation across Western Washington areas including Seattle and Tacoma; and functions as part of the U.S Department Justice according to its official website.