Philip Marion Harthill, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Washington 2022

Philip Marion Harthill, a 74-year-old man from Rosalia, Washington, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, a crime that causes ‘real’ damage to children, according to United States Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson.

Harthill was sentenced in federal court in Spokane on [no specific date provided] after he pleaded guilty to the charges on April 19, 2022. The sentence will be followed by a life term of supervised release.

According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered in early 2019 that Harthill was transmitting child pornography online through Skype. Later that year, Harthill began an online chat via social media sites regarding his sexual interest in minor children, particularly girls, who were ten-years old and older.

Harthill used the Kik Messenger to send at least two images containing child pornography and solicited additional child pornography. Based on Harthill’s transmittal and solicitation of child pornography, Federal agents executed a search warrant at Harthill’s residence and seized several electronic devices, including Harthill’s laptop computer.

On the laptop, investigators discovered 1,455 videos and 531 images of child pornography, including a split-screen video of Harthill sexually interacting with a young child, who stated she was nine years old and lives in another country. During the investigation, Harthill agreed to speak with law enforcement and admitted to downloading, trading, and viewing child pornography for about five years.

Harthill also admitted to sexually communicating online with underage girls, who were between 12 to 15 years old. In his statement, Harthill admitted that he would sometimes falsely portray himself as being 19 years old to his victims.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref said, ‘This case is a stark reminder that sexual predators do not always fit a specific profile and, in some cases, may be the person you least suspect.’ U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, ‘Mr. Harthill used everyday internet applications like Skype and Kik to exploit the most vulnerable among us.’

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