A man from Pierce County, Washington, has been indicted on charges related to sex crimes involving minors. Randy Lee Young, aged 40, appeared in court following his arrest on November 16, 2024. He faces charges of attempted enticement of a minor and production of images depicting child sexual abuse.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller, Young was apprehended when he arrived at a prearranged meeting place in Marysville, Washington. This location was set up during his alleged communications with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the mother of two young daughters.
Young pleaded not guilty during his court appearance and is currently detained at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac. His trial is scheduled for July 14, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lauren King.
Court records indicate that between November 8 and November 15, 2024, Young exchanged text messages with the officer multiple times before traveling from Pierce County to Marysville where he was arrested. Investigators discovered images of child sexual abuse on Young's cell phone after he consented to its review.
The investigation also revealed that Young met a minor online and traveled seven times to her hometown in southwest Washington between October and November 2024. During these visits, he allegedly videotaped sexual acts with the 13-year-old victim who had disclosed her age through text messages.
Attempted enticement of a minor carries a potential life sentence with a mandatory minimum imprisonment of ten years. The production charge involves a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and can extend up to life imprisonment.
"The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations," stated officials involved in the case. "A person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
The FBI Seattle’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is conducting the investigation into this case which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child exploitation launched in May 2006—which focuses on locating offenders exploiting children via the internet while identifying victims for rescue efforts.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood visit www.justice.gov/psc.
