(The Center Square) – Veniamin Gaidaichuk of Everett was convicted Monday by a Yakima County jury of attempted second-degree child rape and communicating with a minor child for immoral purposes, following a criminal prosecution brought by the office of Washington State Attorney General Bob. Ferguson.
“The work of law enforcement across the state to protect children is vital,” Ferguson said Tuesday. Press release. “Protecting our communities from predators is an important part of my office’s work. I appreciate our partnership with the Washington State Patrol and Yakima County to investigate these cases and keep child predators off the streets.
Gaidaichuk, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7. According to the Attorney General’s Office, he faces the standard sentencing range for the attempted rape charge: 90 to 118.5 months in prison up to life in prison and time served. maximum fine of $50,000. The maximum penalty for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes is not more than five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
In November 2019, law enforcement arrested 16 people – including Gaidaichuk – in Yakima County after a multi-day operation dubbed “Operation Net Nanny” that involved the Washington State Patrol, police local law enforcement agencies in Yakima County and several partner agencies.
According to Gaidaichuk’s probable cause affidavit, he posed as “Ben” and contacted someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but who was actually an undercover police officer. In a subsequent telephone conversation between the two men, the undercover agent mentioned that she did not have a condom, explaining that she did not want to get pregnant.
Via text messages over the next two days, the undercover agent encouraged Gaidaichuk to come to her home in Yakima and she sent him photos.
Police arrested Gaidaichuk two days later when he showed up at her home. A box of condoms was found in the backseat of Gaidaichuk’s vehicle.
The attorney general’s office, according to the press release, does not have the authority to initiate criminal investigations unless it receives and accepts a referral from a county prosecutor or the governor.
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