A 53-year-old man from Des Moines, Washington, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced the sentencing of Edward James Creed, a registered sex offender, who was under supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections when unapproved electronic devices and illicit images were found in his possession.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson stated, "creating a market for this material perpetuates the horrific abuse of children." Creed's history includes serving over ten years in state custody following a 2008 conviction for rape of a child in Kitsap County. He was released in 2017 but briefly returned to custody in 2019. In March 2024, a review revealed he had collected seventy images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson advocated for the ten-year sentence, emphasizing Creed's "demonstrated sexualized interest in minors" and noting that despite completing a sexual deviancy treatment program, he continued to seek out illegal material. She highlighted his history of deceiving those monitoring him.

Judge Evanson also imposed 15 years of supervised release following Creed's prison term. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Washington State Department of Corrections.

The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources.