Elk County man faces sex crime charges in local case
An Elk County man has been jailed on $10,000 bail after being charged with three felony charges related to possession of child sex materials.
Kyle R. Washburn, 27, of Johnsonburg, Pa., was charged Monday by the State Police at Warren with second-degree felony photograph/film/depiction on computer sex act; third-degree sexual abuse of children – child sexual abuse material; third-degree felony criminal use of communication facility; and misdemeanor invasion or privacy – view, photograph etc. person without consent. While Washburn is now listed as a Johnsonburn resident, the alleged incident took place in Youngsville. Washburn was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Todd Woodin on Monday and bail set at $10,000. Washburn is due back in court for a preliminary hearing in Woodin’s court on Sept. 10.
According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, the State Police was requested to assist EMS with a psychiatric patient on April 17, 2025, at a Youngsville home with several State Troopers sent to the scene. A trooper said he spoke briefly with Washburn, who allegedly told him that he had an urge to film his 15-year-old sister. Washburn was taken to Warren General Hospital for evaluation and interviewed again by the State Police, who advised him of his rights before Washburn said for a second time he had a thought to film his sister, allegedly admitting to setting his cell phone up on his bed and hiding the phone in blankets to take a video. Washburn said the cell phone recording was discovered, though he wasn’t sure it had been deleted. Troopers seized Washburn’s phone and took it to the State Police at Warren. Police interviewed the victim on May 21 at the County Children’s Advocacy Center. The girl said she and her mother had been staying in Washburn’s one-bedroom apartment because they didn’t have a place to live. After a shower, she was looking for her hair brush and found a cell phone recording. The girl said it appeared Washburn had purposely set the phone up because she could see him looking at the camera to make sure it was recording. The girl said she deleted the video, though she didn’t think it was deleted entirely from the phone.
A search warrant for Washburn’s phone was prepared for and authorized May 28 by Magisterial District Judge Laura Bauer requesting any and all data stored on the phone including its IMEI number, model number, pictures, videos, clips, applications used to capture videos or photographs, applications used to store data, deleted folders and cloud-based storage. The phone was taken to the Northwest Computer Crime Laboratory for analysis in June and a data extraction was completed July 15. On Aug. 4, the phone and its contents were taken back to the State Police at Warren, with three videos observed, according to the affidavit. The videos are described in the affidavit.
“Based on the facts described above, Washburn did knowingly video/film the victim, who is 15 years old, female, who was nude, depicting child sexual abuse material, did knowingly possess child sexual abuse material, did use his cellular device to do so and was doing so without the victim’s knowledge or consent …” the affidavit states.