Man accused in child pornography, exploitation case faces more allegations

A Camas man involved in a child pornography and online child exploitation investigation was in court again Thursday to face allegations in a third case.

Zachary William Akers, 20, faces new allegations in Clark County Superior Court of viewing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, sexual exploitation of a minor, possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and cyberstalking.

Akers additionally pleaded not guilty during the hearing in two other felony cases to two counts of possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexual conduct, one count of first-degree possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, commercial sex abuse of a minor, second-degree viewing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and second-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Akers also admitted to a supervised release violation last week for failing to report to corrections officials after he made bail in the first case.

His trial for the first two cases is scheduled to begin March 7.

According to a bulletin from the Vancouver Police Department, Akers befriended several girls on Facebook, then threatened to expose private messages and compromising photographs he had received unless they agreed to send lewd photos and video to him, or to meet him to have sexual relations.

He used the Facebook profile name of Zachary Akers and a fake profile name to solicit the victims, Vancouver police said. In several cases, Akers sent images of child pornography he had obtained to others over the Internet, the bulletin said.

The incidents occurred over the summer and as recently as last month, according to court records.

There are two victims in the first case, one in the second and one in the third. The victims at the time of the incidents were 14 and 15 years old, court records show.

Judge Scott Collier set Akers’ bail at $25,000 in the latest case; bail remained the same in the two other cases — $25,000 and $50,000 — for a total of $100,000 bail.

Akers will be arraigned on Jan. 28 in the new case, which appears to have occurred in July, court records show.