Michael Gene Rice, Child Pornography, Washington 2023

Soap Lake, Washington - A disturbing case of child exploitation has come to light in the Eastern District of Washington. Michael Gene Rice, 48, of Soap Lake, Washington, has pleaded guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a), (e). The plea was accepted by United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice, who has scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 11, 2023, in Spokane, Washington.

According to court documents and proceedings, Rice caused an 11-year-old minor in his care to record the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on Rice's phone. The minor disclosed the conduct to law enforcement, and a search warrant was granted for Rice's iCloud account data. In Rice's iCloud account, law enforcement observed child pornography videos consistent with the minor's statements.

Rice's guilt was revealed in a 2002 conviction for Rape of a Child in the First Degree in Grant County, Washington, where the victim was also 11 years old. Additionally, he was convicted after a jury trial earlier this year of two counts of Dealing in Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and two counts of Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct in Grant County Case No. No. 22-1-00131-13.

'As a parent, I am chilled by Mr. Rice's exploitative conduct of a young child,' said United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. 'My office will continue to take child exploitation seriously, whether online or in-person. Children everywhere deserve to live in a world free from predators.'

The case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Attorney's Office to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood has five major components, including integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children.

Michael Gene Rice, 48, of Soap Lake, Washington, is currently facing sentencing on October 11, 2023, for his guilty plea to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography. The case is a disturbing reminder of the importance of protecting children from predators and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

The case was investigated by the Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), which is dedicated to protecting the children of Washington State by assisting and investigating missing child and exploitation cases. Washington State Patrol (WSP) MECTF partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Spokane on a Task Force housed at the HSI Spokane office.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/soap-lake-man-pleads-guilty-production-and-attempted-production-child-pornography