Whatcom County authorities arrest woman living in Blaine who is accused of exploiting minors
A 29-year-old Canadian woman living in Blaine faces five felony charges in Whatcom County Superior Court for the sexual exploitation of children and possession and dealing of child sexual abuse material. Each charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a $20,000 fine.
Rachel Openshaw-Tapia was arrested Thursday by officers from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office after a monthslong investigation involving the Bellingham Police Department and the national Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. According to court records, the ICAC received a report from the messenger app Kik on Nov. 4 stating that a user shared approximately 13 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, in a private group chat.
A splash screen over one of the images was text that said “selling new (CSAM) links” on multiple apps and the associated usernames.
Kik submitted another report to NCMEC on Dec. 8 about a separate user — also registered to Openshaw-Tapia’s email — that shared five files containing CSAM in a private group chat.
Openshaw-Tapia told police that she had an “online paramour” who had interest in CSAM, court documents state. She shared images with the man to “keep him interested in her sexually.”
When her initial Kik account was banned, Openshaw-Tapia made a second one, which was also banned.
Openshaw-Tapia made her preliminary appearance before a judge on Friday afternoon. She has been incarcerated on a $1 million bail ahead of her next court appearance on Jan. 17.
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 1:20 PM.