4 Washington men convicted of engaging in child exploitation enterprise

Four Washington men were convicted on Tuesday following an investigation that revealed they were engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

Court documents and evidence presented at the trial show that Christopher William Kuehner, 38, was a member of the website "Rapey.su," a website that was dedicated to child sexual exploitation materials. A statement from the Department of Justice said that Kuehner became a member of the website and would entice "minor girls to produce child sexual abuse material for both him and other members of the website."

The statement says that in a related case from last year, a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia convicted Ashley Kolhoff, 22, of Port Clinton, Ohio, of production of child pornography for her participation on the Rapey.su website. Other users around the country have been prosecuted successfully in state and federal courts for their conduct committed on the website."

The website was shut down by government officials in December 2020.

Kuehner was convicted of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25.

Co-conspirators Jacob Royce Mullins, 20, of South Webster, Ohio; Kyle William Leishear, 43, of Bayonet Point, Florida; and Matthew Martin, 25, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, all pleaded guilty to their roles in the enterprise. "Mullins and Martin are both scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Leishear is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9," the DOJ said.

They each face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison.