Bellingham man allegedly lied about age to get teenager to send sexually explicit images
A Bellingham man is suspected of keeping sexually explicit images on his computer of a teenager he got to send him photos by lying about his age.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Joshua Christopher Apperson, 38, into Whatcom County Jail Tuesday, July 19, on suspicion of four counts first-degree and one count of second-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Jail records show Apperson was released later Tuesday on a $20,000 appearance bond.
Deputies received a report on Jan. 30 that pornographic images of a juvenile had been found on Apperson’s hard drive, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the hard drive on Feb. 23, and it was executed Feb. 28, Slater reported, and a search of the hard drive revealed multiple nude and sexually explicit images of a juvenile female.
Detectives identified the child, who is now an adult, and contacted her in Indiana, according to Slater, and she told detectives that she remembered meeting Apperson online when she was 13 or 14.
The victim said Apperson claimed to be 16, but Slater reported he would have been 18 at the time. The victim also confirmed sending Apperson sexually explicit photos.
Probable cause was established for Apperson’s arrest, and he turned himself in Tuesday at the Whatcom County Jail without incident, according to Slater.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show Apperson is awaiting an Aug. 22 trial on second-degree assault charges after he allegedly head-butted a woman he knew during an argument in June of 2021.
