Sentence next in Star Shots case

By ERICA JAHN

Staff writer

A second man accused of taking explicit photos of teenage girls at the Star Shots photo studio in the SeaTac Mall last December pleaded guilty Nov. 5 to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

James C. Dekluyver, 24, was arraigned in King County Superior Court last week. He and co-worker David C. Brown, 28, who worked as a Star Shots manager, will be sentenced Jan. 3.

Federal Way Police arrested the men last February for the photo scheme in which Dekluyver took topless photos of at least five girls, ages 14 and 15, from September 2001 to January 2002.

After his arrest, Dekluyver told police that Brown acted as a look-out during the photo sessions and stood in front of photo printing machines so customers wouldn’t see the pictures as they were printed.

Brown, who initially denied involvement in the scheme, was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. But he pleaded guilty Oct. 31 to one count of dealing in depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of attempted possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He could be sentenced to almost three years in prison.

Dekluyver initially was charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, for which he could have been sentenced to 10 years in prison, but the charges were reduced to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. He faces almost four years in prison.

Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County prosecuting attorney, said the families of the girls are satisfied with the charges.

Dekluyver told police last February he knew the girls’ ages and that he destroyed the pictures so he wouldn’t get caught with the evidence, according to charging papers.

Parents of a friend of one of the girls found some of the pictures and called police last December.

Staff writer Erica Jahn can be reached at 925-5565 and ejahn@fedwaymirror.com

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