Tessa M. Gorman, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington
A Skagit County man, previously declared a sexually violent predator, has pleaded guilty to charges of receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuse. Alan Lewis Meirhofer, 71, entered his plea in the U.S. District Court in Seattle. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced that Meirhofer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on June 2, 2025.
Court records reveal that Meirhofer befriended teenage boys in the Skagit County area by inviting them to his residence and offering gifts such as food, clothing, alcohol, cash, and marijuana. The situation escalated when one teen borrowed Meirhofer's phone and discovered images of child sexual abuse along with pictures of friends sent to a group chat. This led the teen's mother to alert authorities, resulting in Meirhofer's arrest in March 2021 and the seizure of his electronic devices.
The FBI collaborated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to review internet accounts linked to Meirhofer. Over a dozen reports were found linking him to images of child sexual abuse. Consequently, he was taken into federal custody on July 17, 2024.
Meirhofer's criminal history includes convictions for burglary, kidnapping, and rape in 1988, followed by further convictions for armed burglary and assault in 1990. He was civilly committed to the sexually violent predator Civil Commitment Center on McNeil Island but was released in 2017 as a registered sex offender level 3.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together resources from federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI alongside local law enforcement agencies including the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and Bellingham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson is prosecuting the case.
