‘A lengthy sentence is warranted’: 27-year-old Fall City man sentenced for child sex abuse images after prior molestation conviction

A 27-year-old man, who is a former resident of Fall City, was sentenced for possessing child sex abuse images after he was previously convicted of child molestation.

Paydan Bussey will spend nine years behind bars for possession of images of child sexual abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Bussey was charged in May 2025 following a CyberTip from the platform Kik that he had shared child sexual abuse images with another Kik user. Bussey had already been arrested in Utah for sexual assault of a child and also faces child sexual abuse charges in King County from 2024.

“A lengthy sentence is warranted to protect the public,”  U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead said at Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

Bussey was convicted of child molestation of a minor under the age of 12 and was required to register as a sex offender until 2017, when he became an adult and no longer was required to register, according to records filed in the case. Bussey was required to undergo sex offender treatment, which focuses on equipping people with the knowledge and skills that will help them refrain from future offenses, according to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Former Fall City resident faces charges for rape of a child, sodomy of a child

However, in February 2024, Bussey was arrested by King County deputies for allegedly raping a child. The charges remain pending, according to the attorney’s office. In October 2024, Bussey was booked into Utah County Jail for alleged sodomy of a child. Those charges also remain pending.

In September 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received the tip from Kik that 15 images that appeared to be child sex abuse material had been shared. Law enforcement received a home address in December 2024. The attorney’s office noted the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer recognized the address from the King County investigation into child sexual abuse.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Bussey’s electronics and found images of child sexual abuse on his laptop.

“Mr. Bussey’s conduct in this case is particularly troubling in light of his prior convictions and that he had successfully completed treatment,” Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Harmon wrote to the court in asking for a nine-year prison sentence. “This is now his second sex offense, which demonstrates his inability to conform his conduct to the law. The recommendation is appropriate in light of all the facts of this case when taken in light of his personal characteristics.”

In addition to nine years in prison, Bussey has been placed on lifetime supervised release.

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