Police, federal agents swarm Pasco complex to arrest child sex trafficking suspect

A Pasco man indicted by a federal grand jury last week on 11 criminal counts, including sex trafficking children, was arrested Tuesday.

Charges against Jonathan Michael Atkinson, 34, also include production and attempted production of child pornography, online enticement of a minor and forced labor.

Specifics on the charges were not made public on Tuesday.

They carry a maximum sentence of a lifetime in prison, according to the Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Atkinson, who owned units at a multi-family building at 736 Elm Ave. in Pasco, was booked into the Benton County jail around 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday morning a warrant was served at the building and officers with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and members of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, were at the property. A police dog also was present.

Although rumors spread online that the officers were part of an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid, the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed to the Tri-City Herald that it was not an immigration arrest and that Atkinson is a U.S. citizen.

He is from Alabama and spent some time in Honduras before coming to the Tri-Cities area.

Anyone with information, including about other potential victims, is asked to contact the Pasco Police Department.

More information on the allegations is to be released when Atkinson appears in federal court Thursday.

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most vulnerable members of our communities and the most effective way we can dismantle these criminal networks is through strong partnerships,” said Matthew Murphy, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle.

Atkinson was arrested by the ICAC Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, the Richland and Kennewick police departments and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Additional help was provided by the Pasco Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to seek justice for the most vulnerable among us,” said Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Holland and Stephanie Van Marter. The investigation was led by the Southeast Regional ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations, said the release.

This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 2:18 PM.