ARLINGTON – A 36-year-old Arlington man was recently sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor and possession of child pornography.

According to U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran:

James C. Overton of Arlington pleaded guilty in January, admitting he used the internet to have sexual communications with young girls. Overton met one 13-year-old girl online and, during the years that followed, convinced her to exchange sexually explicit photos. When she was 15, he took her to Olympic National Park for sexual conduct. At the sentencing, Judge Ronald B. Leighton said Overton engaged in “a pattern of exploitation… this is a serious offense that affects real people.”

According to records, Overton used the internet with a number of young teens and preteens, attempting to have sexualized conversations with them. He groomed the 13-year-old for sex and took advantage of her precarious emotional and psychological condition.

In November 2016, Overton picked up the then-15-year-old and took her to Olympic National Park where he had her engage in sexual conduct. The teen’s family ultimately reported the conduct.

When investigators got a court-authorized search warrant for Overton’s home and digital devices, they also recovered evidence of more than 100 images of child porn. Overton had attempted to delete the images, but evidence remained on his devices.

Overton will be required to register as a sex offender.