St. Helens Police Assist in Case of Bellevue Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 22, 2024

St. Helens, Ore. - In March 2023, St. Helens detectives were contacted by the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force regarding a child that may have been sexually assaulted in St. Helens in 2020. Using information provided by investigators in Wyoming, St. Helens detectives identified the suspect, 26-year-old Spencer Riding of Bellevue, Idaho.

Detectives obtained search warrants for cellular data and social media accounts related to the investigation, and additional evidence was located as the data was analyzed. St. Helens detectives forwarded the information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney's Office which resulted in Riding being indicted by a federal grand jury.

On August 14, 2024, Riding was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison related to the sexual assault investigation.

The St. Helens Police Department worked collaboratively with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gooding County Sheriff's Office, the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Attorney's Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Robins and Kassandra McGrady.

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For further information regarding this press release, please contact Communications Officer Crystal King at [email protected].

A copy of the DOJ's press release related to Riding's sentencing is attached.

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