Bellingham Naked Bike Ride co-founder charged with possessing child porn
The co-founder of the Bellingham Naked Bike Ride has been charged in Whatcom County Superior Court with viewing and possessing child pornography.
Bellingham police arrested Zachary Elisha Robertson, 42, of Bellingham on March 10. Robertson co-founded the Bellingham Naked Bike Ride, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is also listed on the board of directors of the Cascadia Community Land Trust.
Court records show that Robertson’s wife found a folder of explicit images of young girls on his laptop and called police.
Robertson claimed he had the pictures as references for his self-published children’s book, “Norma Normal,” which depicts a child who lives naked in nature. He told his wife that he had the files open to delete them, court records state.
When police searched Robertson’s laptop, they found about 25 images of naked pre-pubescent and pubescent children. Detectives noted that Robertson’s book was published in 2020, and he was viewing them six years later for what they believed to be sexual gratification. The search of Robertson’s computer was still ongoing at the time of his arrest.
Robertson was charged in Whatcom County Superior Court with possession and viewing of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He pleaded not guilty to both felony charges and was released from jail after posting $2,500 bail on March 11.
Robertson’s trial is scheduled for April 27.