Tri-Cities business owner accused of grooming, sex trafficking kids he brought to U.S.

KENNEWICK – The owner of a Tri-Cities construction business pleaded innocent last week to accusations that included grooming boys in Honduras for sex trafficking in the Tri-Cities.

Jonathan Michael Atkinson, 34, the Pasco owner of CRS Crossroad Services, manipulated victims for over a decade, Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel Holland said at the hearing at the Richland federal courthouse.

He is facing 11 criminal charges, including illicit sexual conduct; production of child pornography, attempted online enticement of minors, sex trafficking of children by force, fraud and coercion, as well as forced labor and harboring illegal aliens.

Together, they carry a maximum sentence of a lifetime in prison.

Atkinson would find children living in poverty in Honduras as young as 8 and provide them with housing, schooling, food and gifts, such as electronic devices, Holland said.

But then he would force them to participate in sexual activities, and he told them they must send him sexually explicit videos and pictures if they wanted to come to the United States, according to Holland and court documents.

When they arrived in the U.S., they lived in a four-plex that he and his wife owned, Holland said.

Atkinson was arrested Tuesday, and law enforcement searched a multifamily home at 736 Elm Ave. in Pasco.

The minors he brought to Pasco worked for his company for unfair wages and would be forced to engage in sexual acts, Holland said.

If they refused, Atkinson would threaten to contact immigration and to release videos of them to the pastor of the church they attended, Holland said.

Victims called Atkinson “father” and he called them “son,” she said.

They were required to provide Atkinson with private information, such as their cellphone location and passwords to their social media accounts, according to a court document.

They were totally dependent on Atkinson and his wife, Yamilex, Holland said.

Witness tampering alleged

Immediately after Atkinson was booked into the Benton County jail as a federal prisoner Tuesday morning, he began seeking phone numbers for witnesses and victims, according to a court document.

His wife’s phone was seized, but he called a witness to obtain her new number. She told him in a call that she would reach out and ask for letters of support, Holland said.

Instead, she allegedly tried to undermine witnesses, according to information at the court hearing.

Prosecutors allege Atkinson’s wife removed the victims from a hotel where law enforcement officers had taken them, according to a court document.

Jonathan Atkinson, the Pasco owner of CRC Crossroad Services, is accused of production of child pornography and sex trafficking of children. Facebook

The Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating his wife on suspicion of witness tampering, Holland said.

The prosecution asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Alexander Ekstrom to order Atkinson to have no contact with victims or potential witnesses in the case, including his wife and others who attended the hearing.

Defense attorney Craig Webster of Yakima said he was hearing some of the prosecution’s allegations for the first time Thursday and asked for more time to argue the issue of a no-contact order. Any conversations between Atkinson and his wife from the jail would be recorded so law enforcement could monitor them, he argued.

But Ekstrom issued a no-contact order Thursday afternoon, saying in the order that there was an immediate need to stop contact with witnesses, including his wife, and victims.

Atkinson remains in jail and a hearing on whether he may be released pending the outcome of the case and further arguments on the no-contact order are scheduled to be held next week.

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

“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, in a statement.