Stevens County man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trying to have sex with child

SPOKANE, Wash. - A Stevens County man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for trying to have sex with a child.

The U.S. District Court in Spokane sentenced 65-year-old James Drew Bradley on Friday, who is convicted for attempted online enticement of a minor. Bradley pleaded guilty to the charges on May 26, 2022.

Bradley must spend 12 years in prison, followed by federal supervision for the rest of his life. He must also pay a $55,000 fine.

According to court documents, Bradley tried to solicit sex from adult women and underaged girls. In 2019, a woman reported to law enforcement that Bradley asked her to find a 12-year-old girl for him to have sex with.

"The SPD is thankful justice was served in this case," said Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl. "These cases are particularly disturbing when someone is willing to prey on innocent children for their own gratification. Thankfully, the collaborative efforts of Spokane Police and our law enforcement partners resulted in removing a dangerous predator from the streets before he victimized an innocent child."

The FBI launched an investigation in June of that year, and an undercover officer got the woman's permission to use her phone and continue texting Bradley.

Communication continued through August, and on Aug. 8, 2019, Bradley again requested sex with a 12-year-old girl and requested child pornography of her, according to court documents. Bradley set up an in-person meetup and booked a room at a hotel in Spokane.

Bradley arranged to first meet the woman and child at a restaurant in Spokane, and promised to pay $1,000 for sex with the child, or $1,200 for unprotected sex with both.

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When Bradley arrived at the restaurant, he instead met FBI and Spokane Police officers, who took him into custody. They searched his truck and recovered vacuum-sealed packs of cash. At his hotel room, officers recovered lubricant, condoms and sex toys.

"I commend the seamless cooperation between the FBI, SPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office," said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. "For decades now, our community has been fortunate to have some of the most experienced and conscientious child exploitation investigators and prosecutors in the nation, both state and federal. This case shows exactly why we do proactive investigations into people who seek out children for sex. This investigation conducted by FBI and SPD prevented Mr. Bradley from continuing to seek out children for sex and protected vulnerable members of our community from harm and trauma."