Bryce Quinton Hale, Child Pornography, Washington 2023

In a disturbing case of child exploitation, Bryce Quinton Hale, 28, of Yakima, Washington, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography.

According to court documents, Hale produced images of child pornography in August 2021, which he shared with a chat group using the ‘Kik’ app on his cellular phone.

He was charged with these crimes in November 2021 and was placed on conditions of pre-trial release, but he continued to engage in unlawful activity by accessing the internet and using another cellular phone on which he possessed additional images and videos of child pornography.

Hale pleaded guilty to the charges on August 23, 2023. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian also ordered Hale to serve an additional 10 years on federal supervision after he is released from prison and imposed $3,000 in restitution.

In a statement, Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District, said, ‘Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who continue to seek to victimize children: the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice, and the consequences of exploiting children will be severe.’

Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, added, ‘Child pornography is particularly troubling for the victims as the images continue to exist on the internet even after the perpetrator is stopped.’

Hale’s case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.

The exact criminal charges against Hale are Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The city and state of the crime are Yakima, Washington. The exact crime date is August 2021. The sentence or outcome is 240 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of federal supervision. The dollar amount of restitution is $3,000.

Related Federal Cases