Moses Lake Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

Spokane, Washington - First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced today that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Billy Gene Pinson, age 45, 35 years imprisonment for three counts of Production of Child Pornography, two counts of Possession of Child Pornography, and one count of Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by an Individual Required to Register as Sex Offender. Pinson pleaded guilty on October 15, 2025. Judge Bastian sentenced Pinson to 35 years in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Judge Bastian also ordered restitution for one victim in the amount of $3,000, imposed a $10,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act, and ordered the forfeiture of electronic devices used in connection with Defendant's crimes.

According to court documents, Pinson is a repeat sex offender, convicted in 1994 of two counts of Rape of a Child in the First Degree and in 2013 of Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes. Required to register as a sex offender, Pinson was already abusing his next victims before probation expired on his 2013 sex offense. Between February 2014 and October 2018, Pinson raped and sexually abused eight more children and exploited at least two more identifiable victims. Pinson's victims were as young as four years old.

The case came to light in March 2019, according to the filed plea agreement, when one of Pinson's minor victims - then six years old - disclosed abuse at Pinson's residence in Moses Lake. The ensuing investigation led to four more children disclosing years of sexual abuse by Pinson. Some of the victims described being photographed nude and in sexual poses and seeing these images on Pinson's phone. Additional victims were identified when computer hard drives belonging to Pinson were forensically reviewed and found to contain child pornography produced by Pinson, in addition to child pornography Pinson obtained online. A safe in Pinson's garage contained printed child pornography photographs, a baggie of one of his victim's hair, and several pairs of used little girls' underwear. Pinson's DNA was matched to semen on the underwear.

"Crimes involving the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor children are the most reprehensible crimes," said Serrano. "Pinson has proven over and over that he will harm a child he desires if given the chance, and the sentence today puts that to end. Our office is committed to working alongside our state and federal partners to seek justice for these victims, and I'm grateful for a sentence that removes Pinson from our community. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, but I hope the length of Pinson's sentence helps them healing."

"This defendant's actions caused devastating harm to multiple victims, and today's sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes," said Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Guernsey. "The Grant County Prosecuting Attorney's Office takes crimes involving the victimization of children with the utmost seriousness, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. Our office is grateful to see this defendant finally held accountable for the profound harm he inflicted on multiple victims. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney's Office for taking on such a significant and challenging prosecution. The thorough investigation by the Moses Lake Police Department, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made this outcome possible, and we hope the victims can now begin the process of healing and moving forward."

Captain Mike Williams, of the Moses Lake Police Department added, "While we are happy to close the book on the prosecution phase of this repugnant and tragic case, we are reminded that there are eight victims whose lives were irrevocably changed by this criminal. Our hope is that this sentence will bring some measure of peace to them. MLPD would like to thank our federal partners with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Attorney's Office for their work on this case. The scope of the investigation was staggering, and with their help, all of the victims were able to have their voices heard."

"This substantial prison sentence removed Pinson from our community where he can never again groom, exploit, or terrorize another child," said Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. "HSI was able to bring this case to justice because brave young victims spoke up and our special agents, with assistance from Moses Lake Police Department and the Grant County Prosecutor's Office, quickly stepped in to investigate without hesitation. We know that no sentence can erase the lifelong trauma these children carry, but HSI will stand with them-for as long as it takes-and we will not stop. HSI is unwavering in our mission to protect children, pursue predators like this repeat, dangerous sex offender and work with our communities to find, stop, and prosecute anyone who dares to harm a child."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Moses Lake Police Department. Pinson was first prosecuted by the Grant County Prosecutor's Office. This federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.