SPOKANE – On September 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Kylie Ruby Flores, 31, of Spokane, to 23 years in prison for conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of a six-year-old girl, whom Flores made available to an adult man for sexual abuse in exchange for housing, cash, and sneakers. Flores will also be on federal supervision for the remainder of her life.
Flores conspired with codefendant Trever Harder to engage in the sex trafficking of a six-year-old girl. After meeting Harder online on the dating application Plenty of Fish, Flores knowingly agreed to trade sexual access to the girl for a place to stay, small amounts of cash, and the promise of new Nike running shoes. According to the Plea Agreements entered by Harder and Flores, the child was able to describe the specific ways that Harder sexually abused her, including acts of sodomy. Law enforcement officers recovered a video that Harder had recorded after he set up a camera on a cat tree in his apartment in Cheney, Washington. The video depicts Harder raping the little girl on the couch in his apartment. Harder has also pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.
“The facts of this case present some of the most egregious sexual abuse of a child one can imagine. Today’s sentence is important, but it is equally important to remember that Flores’s sentence will likely be much shorter than the lifelong impact on the child,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District. “No sentence can return the child’s innocence, but our community is now safer and stronger. Most important, the child is now in a safe place.” The U.S. Attorney emphasized the importance of protecting children. “The little girl in this case was only six years old when her abuse began. Thanks to an effective and cooperative investigation, she is neither missing nor murdered today—but she is not the only child in danger. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to sexually abuse children: justice is coming.”
David M. Herzog, the Assistant United States Attorney who prosecuted the case, thanked the agencies responsible for the investigation and the protection of the young victim. “Incredibly dedicated FBI agents worked hand-in-hand with state, local, and tribal law enforcement to secure justice for the victim in this case. I am particularly grateful to Chelsea Sayles, the Quileute Tribal Attorney, and our partners with Quileute Indian Child Welfare, who worked hand-in-hand with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office to protect this child from further sexual abuse.”
“It is inconceivable as a parent how someone could participate in the victimization of a child under their care.“ said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field Office. “While the sentence in this case is significant and truly justified, it only brings a small measure of justice to the victim. I hope the dedication of FBI agents and our partners to hold predators like Ms. Flores accountable serves as a message to those who would victimize our most vulnerable among us.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Spokane Resident Office and the Spokane Police Department, with significant assistance from the Quileute Nation. The case was prosecuted by David M. Herzog, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.