A Des Moines, Washington man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse. Edward James Creed, a 53-year-old registered sex offender, was found with unapproved electronic devices and illicit images on his phone while under supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced the sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson presided over the hearing, stating that "creating a market for this material perpetuates the horrific abuse of children."
Creed had previously served over ten years in state custody following a 2008 conviction for rape of a child in Kitsap County. He was released in 2017 but returned to custody briefly in 2019. In March 2024, community corrections discovered seventy images of child sexual abuse on his phone during a review.
Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson advocated for the ten-year sentence, emphasizing Creed's "demonstrated sexualized interest in minors" and his history of deceiving those monitoring him.
Judge Evanson also ordered Creed to undergo 15 years of supervised release after serving his prison term.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.