A judge on Friday sentenced a Washougal man who formerly worked with kids during after-school activities to five years in prison for possessing child sex abuse imagery.
Jesse Bulakites, 22, pleaded guilty last month in Clark County Superior Court to three counts of first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Three additional counts were dismissed as a part of his plea agreement, court records show.
Bulakites apologized Friday and promised the judge she’d never see him again for any new law violations.
“I’m looking forward to working on myself and being better in the future,” Bulakites said.
Judge Suzan Clark granted the sentence jointly recommended by the prosecutor and defense attorney.
In May 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children informed Vancouver police that six files containing child sex abuse imagery were found on a Google Drive account, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Detectives said the billing information, a Washougal address and a phone number linked to the account indicated it belonged to Bulakites, according to the affidavit, and at least one file had apparently been accessed in Clark County.
Investigators also located a Facebook post by Bulakites offering babysitting services in the area and noting he works with kids during the week. The post also included a phone number — the same linked to the Google account, court records state.
Detectives also noted Bulakites worked for the Clark County YMCA, including coordinating after-school activities at Felida Elementary School, according to the affidavit.
Bulakites’ defense attorney, Katie Kauffman, said during Friday’s sentencing hearing that investigators never found any evidence Bulakites sexually abused any of the children.
YMCA leadership previously said Bulakites was fired as soon as law enforcement notified the organization of his arrest and court appearance. Leadership said it had no information that any crimes occurred in the YMCA programs or on YMCA property.
