Stevens County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

Spokane, Washington - First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on August 19, 2026, Richard Timothy Kalesnick, age 41, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for Possession of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice also imposed a life term of supervised release to follow the prison term, as well as imposing a $3,000 special assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA). Assessments under the AVAA are paid into a fund from which child pornography victims can obtain restitution at a later date.

According to court documents, Kalesnick pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography between April 1, 2024, and November 19, 2024. Kalesnick was previously convicted of two counts of First Degree Child Molestation in 2013, for his molestation of two minor females, both under the age of 10. Initially sentenced to 12 months in custody, Kalesnick was later released, ordered to attend sex offender treatment, and subject to supervision by the Washington State Department of Correction. Violations of that supervision led to a second prison term that ended in 2019. Over the next several years, even with court-ordered treatment, Kalesnick regularly fantasized about minor females, rape, and violence. He committed several violations of the conditions of his supervision, including viewing and possessing child pornography.

"Protecting the children, the most vulnerable, in our community is the most important work done by our office. We will continually protect our children from monsters, like Kalesnick, who offend and reoffend and perpetuate fear and harm within our community," said First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano. "This sentence is the result of a strong partnership between federal and local authorities, where everyone involved recognized that Kalesnick is a significant threat. This federal and state team worked together to remove Kalesnick from the streets."

"The Stevens County Prosecutors Office is deeply grateful for the hard work that the U.S. Attorney's Office put in to securing a conviction for this offender, said Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney Erika George. "Kalesnick's arrest was the result of collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, and we are all greatly served by a sentence that removes a clear danger to children from our community for a substantial period of time."

"Protecting children and holding those who prey upon them accountable remains one of the Stevens County Sheriff's Office's highest priorities," said Stevens County Sheriff Brad Manke. "Despite the demands on our agency and limited resources, our deputies and detectives serving as cross-designated task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations demonstrated exceptional dedication and investigative work throughout this case. We will continue working to protect our children and communities."

"Kalesnick chose to disregard every chance at reform, ultimately posing a persistent threat to public safety," said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. "By securing this sentence, we have successfully removed a predatory threat from our streets. I am proud of the collaborative effort between HSI and the Stevens County Sheriff's Office in this case, and we will continue our work to protect the most vulnerable in our society."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Stevens County Sheriff's Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.

2:25-cr-00192-TOR