Washougal police are looking for an individual who impersonated a Washougal trainer on Instagram, utilizing a faux account to ship sexually express messages to a Washougal Excessive College scholar.
Police responded Feb. 12 to Washougal Excessive College for a report of a intercourse crime after a scholar reported the messages, in keeping with court docket information.
In a search warrant affidavit filed March 10 in Clark County Superior Court docket, Washougal police Detective Sugey Lopez stated the individual behind the faux Instagram account had claimed to be one of many scholar’s academics and used that trainer’s picture and identify on the social media account.
The trainer didn’t reply to The Columbian’s request for remark. However police stated the trainer offered proof proving that his actual Instagram account, which has been energetic for a number of years and is linked to different verifiable social media accounts, was not the account that despatched the sexually express messages, court docket information state.
Police stated the individual utilizing the faux Instagram account might face expenses of first-degree felony impersonation and communication with a minor for immoral functions.
Washougal College District performed its personal inside investigation and located “no credible evidence to suggest that district staff were involved in sending these messages,” stated Les Brown, the district’s director of communications.
Brown stated college district leaders have labored carefully with Washougal police in the course of the investigation.
In response to court docket paperwork, Washougal police have requested that Meta, the mother or father firm of Instagram and Fb, present entry to the account’s content material since Jan. 1, 2025. As of Monday, the Instagram account in query was nonetheless energetic.
Brown stated the varsity district is unable to supply extra info to “protect the privacy of the individuals targeted by this malicious action” in the course of the felony investigation.
“The safety of our students and staff is always our highest priority. We appreciate those who notified school officials so that we could respond to the concern,” Brown stated. “We strongly encourage our students, staff and community members to let us know if they see this type of behavior so we can investigate. (This) situation was reported to school leadership, who immediately notified law enforcement so they could respond.”
