Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced that Aaron Edger Dollarhide, a 39-year-old resident of Ellensburg, Washington, has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed the sentence for one count of Receipt of Child Pornography after Dollarhide's prior conviction for a similar offense. In addition to the prison term, Dollarhide will undergo five years of supervised release.
Court documents and details from the sentencing hearing reveal that on January 19, 2022, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and officers from the Ellensburg police department executed a search warrant at Dollarhide’s residence. They seized his phone as part of the investigation.
A forensic review revealed that on January 18, 2022, Dollarhide downloaded digital files containing child sexual abuse material. Additionally, investigators found 687 more videos on his phone depicting children being sexually abused.
Dollarhide had previously been sentenced to prison in 2012 following a conviction for Second Degree Child Molestation in Yakima County Superior Court.
“Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and holding individuals accountable for exploiting children,” said Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker. “Mr. Dollarhide’s actions of repeatedly downloading and possessing child pornography, despite a prior conviction for molesting a child, demonstrate a disturbing disregard for the safety and well-being of children. Our office will continue to pursue and prosecute those who exploit children, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those who do harm young children will face the full consequences of their actions.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.