44-year-old Arlington sex offender sentenced to 35 years in prison on child porn charges

SEATTLE -- A 44-year-old Arlington man was sentenced to 35 years in prison Thursday for possessing, distributing and attempting to produce images of child rape and molestation.

Raymond Earl Devore, who is a registered sex offender with multiple prior convictions, was sentenced in federal court in Seattle.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Zilly said Devore qualified for the 35-year mandatory minimum sentence because of his prior convictions.

"You weren't just surfing the internet for child pornography," Zilly said, "you were really a predator, obsessed with connecting with young teens."

According to court records, in January 2015 law enforcement learned that Devore -- who was living at a home for sex offenders under the supervision of the Washington Department of Corrections -- had been sending text messages to a young teen in Oregon. Investigators seized Devore's phone and discovered hundreds of images of child molestation and rape.

The investigation also revealed that Devore used a messaging app to communicate with 87 different people, many of woman indicated they were teenagers. "Devore had sexually explicit discussions with two young teenage girls, preying on them after learning they had been victims of sexual abuse," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.