Arrest Made in Sexual Exploitation Investigation

Published on March 19, 2021

Graphic announcement of a KPD news release

Long term investigation leads to charges

Media Contact:
Public Information Officer Tiffany Trombley
Kirkland Police Department
Email: ttrombley@kirklandwa.gov
425-587-3427

Case/Incident #2018-1261

Kirkland, WA – Kirkland Police detectives arrested an adult male involved in a sexual exploitation case. This investigation started in 2018 after officers responded to a welfare check.

The juvenile female victim recounted suffering from ongoing sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and threats at the hands of two adult males at a Seattle apartment. During the ongoing investigation, detectives and a Kirkland Police Department school resource officer identified several teenage victims who had been victimized by the two males. They threatened to harm the victims and their family members as a way to exert control while they were repeatedly sexually assaulted and forced into sexual encounters with other males for a fee collected by the suspects. Although the assaults took place in other jurisdictions (Seattle and Puyallup), Kirkland detectives were tenacious in their efforts to solve this case. There was collaboration with several other law enforcement agencies, and the King County Prosecutors office, to gather sufficient evidence to bring charges against the two suspects identified in this case.

The investigation revealed that the suspects had befriended one of the victims on a social media app and lured her to a Seattle apartment where she was sexually assaulted and forced to perform sex acts with male strangers. This was ongoing and included threatening harm to her and her family if she refused to persuade other underage females to make contact with the suspects. These additional young girls were similarly victimized. The in-depth investigation revealed that the two suspects were also involved in the kidnapping, assault, and attempted robbery of an adult male in Pacific, Washington.

These assaults occurred several years ago, but the victims recently came forward with additional information. Several of the victims worked cooperatively with law enforcement to assist in the prosecution and to hold the suspects accountable for their actions.

On March 11, 2021, one of the two suspects, 34-year-old Thomas Edward Lee Anderson, was arrested and booked into King County Jail on several charges including sexual assault and promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor.

The Kirkland Police Department is seeking any information that may lead to the current whereabouts and arrest of the other suspect in this investigation, identified as 37-year-old Scott Barry Uchida. He is believed to have since left the country. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Scott Barry Uchida, please contact the Kirkland Police Investigations unit tip line at 425-587-3515.

Note: An update to this news release was posted on June 24, 2021.

 

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