A investigation by local and federal officials has led to the arrest of a Clark County man in a child pornography and online child exploitation case.
The Vancouver Police Department reported Friday that Zachary William Akers, 20, allegedly befriended several young females over Facebook, then threatened to expose private messages and compromising photographs he’d received unless they agreed to send lewd photos and videos to him, or to meet him to have sexual relations.
Akers used the Facebook account profile names of Zachary Akers and Lane Bentley to solicit victims, according to a bulletin from Vancouver police. It said that in several cases, Akers sent images of child pornography he had obtained to others over the Internet.
The case was investigated by the Vancouver Police Department/Clark County Sheriff’s Office Digital Evidence Cyber-crimes Unit, with assistance from Camas Police, Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the bulletin said.
“A search warrant on his cell phone, laptop computer and Facebook accounts revealed an extensive list of minor female victims, many of which have yet to be identified,” the bulletin said.
Akers faces “numerous” felony charges involving child pornography and online child exploitation, the bulletin said.
The bulletin did not specify Akers’ hometown, but voter registration records and a Facebook profile in his name lists his residence as Camas.
Police asked that anyone who feels they may be the victim of this type of crime involving Akers, or anyone who may have information about one of these cases, to contact Detective David Jensen of the Digital Evidence Cyber-crimes Unit at david.jensen@cityofvancouver.us.
The bulletin cautioned parents to closely monitor their child’s use of the Internet, particularly social media and online communication platforms such as Facebook, Kik, WhatsApp and Skype.
“Kids should use extreme caution when online and should never communicate with, or send private photographs to, people they do not know in person,” the bulletin said.
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