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Registered Sex Offender Charged
Possessing/Dealing Child PornographyÂ
On September 8th, 2015, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Sexual Assault Unit Detective Damon Simmons charged 30-year-old Hugh A. Russell with possessing and dealing in child pornography. Russell is a registered sex offender after being convicted for possessing child pornography in 2014.
This investigation began at the end of August 2015, when Detective Simmons received a Cyber Crime “Tip†from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Detective Simmons began investigating the tip and soon developed information Russell may be involved with possessing and distributing depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Detective Simmons contacted Russell when he arrived at the Public Safety Building to comply with his weekly check-in as a transient registered sex offender. During a subsequent interview, Russell was shown the information Detective Simmons discovered during the investigation. Seeing this information, Russell admitted he used the internet to possess and share child pornography.
Detective Simmons arrested Russell and walked him to the Spokane County Jail where he was booked for Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Dealing in Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct.
This investigation continues and additional charges are possible.
For more information regarding registered sex offenders in Spokane County including tips and alerts, please go to our OffenderWatch® page at http://www.sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php?office=54488
More information about the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) can be found on their website athttp://www.missingkids.com.
Deputy Mark Gregory
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Public Information Officer
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