On September 24, 2025, law enforcement officials executed search and arrest warrants in Richland, Washington, and Mason City, Iowa. The operations were part of child exploitation investigations led by the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (SER-ICAC) Task Force. This task force includes detectives from the Richland and Kennewick Police Departments, deputies from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and special agents from Homeland Security Investigations.
Joseph Ralland Whipple, 34, was taken into custody in Mason City on federal charges related to producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing sexually explicit images of minor children in Tri-Cities, Washington. Authorities searched Whipple’s residence in Iowa and seized several electronic devices as evidence. The Mason City Police Department and the Iowa Department of Public Safety assisted with the arrest. Whipple made an initial appearance in federal court in Iowa and is being held pending further proceedings in federal court for the Eastern District of Washington.
Whipple also faces state charges in Benton County Superior Court for two counts of Rape of a Child in the First Degree with an aggravating circumstance alleging a pattern of sexual abuse. He has also been charged with two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree involving multiple minors. His bail was set at one million dollars.
Charles Lon Seltz, 57, was arrested at his home in Richland on state charges of Rape of a Child in the First Degree. Officers executed a search warrant at his residence and collected multiple electronic devices as part of their investigation. Seltz is charged with four counts of Rape of Child in the First Degree with an aggravating circumstance for alleged repeated abuse. His bail is also set at one million dollars.
Authorities noted that "An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
The United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Washington and Northern District of Iowa are prosecuting these cases alongside the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.
