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Pediatrician Found Dead, Second Man Arrested in Sweeping Child Exploitation Investigation (www.olympicherald.com)

submitted 6 days ago by velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/seattle@lemmy.world

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A sprawling child exploitation investigation by the Vancouver Police Department has resulted in the arrest of a Vancouver man and the death of a prominent local pediatrician, who was found deceased of an apparent suicide just a day after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest.

The investigation, which involves the Vancouver Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, began in February 2026.

Authorities reported receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding child sex abuse material traced to a Vancouver IP address.

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[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Tragic. Suicide is not the answer. Turning in evidence to apprehend and convict every other involed abuser, is the answer.

Also, hooray for detective work.

And, worth quoting for visibility:

Law enforcement is asking anyone who is aware of a child who may have had unsupervised contact with either Chad Hartley or Michael Wilmington to immediately contact their local law enforcement agency.

[–] velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 6 days ago

He was a coward until the end.