Three men from western Washington have been charged in separate cases involving child sexual abuse material, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The charges stem from investigations led by the FBI over the past two months. Two of the accused are from Snohomish County and one is from King County. Each case involves the use of the internet to contact victims or obtain illegal material.
“The government shutdown did not slow our work to investigate and prosecute those who harm children,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “There is no place in society for those who prey on vulnerable victims – especially children. We all must be vigilant about protecting our children from those who seek to harm them via the internet.”
Anatoli Tony Fefelov, 30, of Lynnwood, was charged on October 28, 2025, with distribution of images of child sexual abuse and attempted enticement of a minor. Law enforcement began investigating after a 13-year-old reported harassment and coercion by a Discord user, which led authorities to accounts on other platforms linked to Fefelov. A search at his residence allegedly uncovered electronic devices containing illegal images. He was indicted on November 12, 2025, with trial scheduled for January 20, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Tana Lin.
Aqeel Ibn-Khalid Shareef, 28, was charged on October 30, 2025 with production of child sexual abuse material. Shareef had previously been convicted in state court for sex crimes including rape of a child and was required to register as a sex offender after serving prison time. While under supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC), officers found he possessed unauthorized electronic devices that contained communications with a minor victim and illegal images. He was indicted on November 12, 2025; his trial is set for January 20, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson.
In another case, Robert Anthony Fiore, a registered sex offender from Marysville with prior convictions in California, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2025 to possession of child sexual abuse images. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted law enforcement after Dropbox reported uploads tied to Fiore’s account. Authorities found dozens of videos and hundreds of images during their investigation; Fiore admitted in his plea agreement that he had communicated online with more than twelve minors as young as twelve years old. Sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2026 before Judge Tana Lin.
“Thanks to the hard work of FBI Violent Crimes Against Children squads and task forces across the country, we and our partners are holding predators accountable for the harm they inflict on young people, including by circulating images and videos depicting sexual exploitation of minors on the internet,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Once online, this content is extremely difficult to remove and re-victimizes these children each and every time it is shared.”
These cases fall under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal prosecutors and agencies such as United States Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS (Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section). More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigations were conducted by the FBI alongside members of local police departments—Seattle Police Department and Marysville Police Department—as well as officers from DOC working within Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson is prosecuting these cases.
