Bellingham man sentenced for possessing thousands of photos, videos of child pornography
A Bellingham man will spend a year and a day in prison for possessing hundreds of thousands of child pornography photos and videos.
Timothy Towle Hess, 39, was sentenced Feb. 23 in Whatcom County Superior Court to one year and one day in prison, with three years probation, for one count of first-degree possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hess pleaded guilty to the amended charges Nov. 10, according to court records.
As part of his sentence, Hess will be required to register as a sex offender.
Hess was arrested in late January 2021 after an investigation into child pornography crimes began in 2019.
In early February 2019, Bellingham police received two cybertips related to child pornography from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It was later determined that the IP address relating to the images came from Hess’ home in Bellingham, according to court records.
Bellingham police obtained several search warrants, which led to investigators finding roughly 265,000 images and videos of children engaged in sexual conduct on Hess’ electronic devices, the records state.
Hess turned himself into the police after probable cause was determined for his arrest, the records show.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
