SPD Arrest Level III Registered Sex Offender for Failure to Register

SPD Arrest Level III Registered Sex Offender for Failure to Register

Officer T. Leming, PIO

Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 3:45 p.m.

On August 10th, 2026, Spokane Police officers responded to the area of 2700 E. South Riverton Ave. after callers reported seeing two young children coming out of a tent occupied by a registered sex offender near the river.

Officers learned the children, ages 7 and 9, did not previously know the man, later identified as 70-year-old Michael Blodgett, a Level III registered sex offender. The children told officers they had been inside Blodgett's tent, had been playing with him, and were going to make pancakes. The children had gone to the river without their parents' knowledge and were safely reunited with their families.

Detectives with SPD's Special Victims Unit continued the investigation, including examining whether the circumstances supported a Child Luring charge. Based on the evidence and the elements required under Washington's current Child Luring statute, investigators were unable to establish probable cause for that charge. Investigators found no evidence the children had been harmed or that an additional crime involving the children had occurred.

During the investigation, detectives developed probable cause to arrest Blodgett for Failure to Register as a sex offender. On August 11th, officers located Blodgett and booked him into the Spokane County Jail.

SPD believes it is important for the community to understand both the concerning circumstances of this incident and why the facts did not meet the legal requirements for a Child Luring charge under current Washington law

SPD encourages parents and caregivers to talk with their children about interactions with unfamiliar adults and to know where their children are. We are thankful for the community members who recognized a concerning situation and called police, allowing officers to quickly locate the children and ensure they were safe.

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