Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
SEATTLE, WA—Scott Barry Uchida, 38, of Seattle, Washington, was detained on April 21, 2021, without incident in Kepong, Malaysia, by Royal Malaysia Police, announced Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Donald M. Voiret of the Seattle Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Uchida is wanted for second degree rape, second degree rape of a child, promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor, and third degree rape of a child in King County.
Court documents allege the following: In January 2018, the Kirkland Police Department opened an investigation into the commercial sexual exploitation, rape, and unlawful imprisonment of three juvenile victims between summer 2015 and January 2018. A 15-year-old victim reported to a Kirkland Police Department school resource officer that two men had raped, forced into prostitution, and made her recruit others. Uchida, who was determined to be one of the men, met the victim through the social media application meetme.com when she was 12 years old. Uchida took the victim to a Seattle apartment where he threatened violence against her and her family members and held her against her will. In March 2021, the Kirkland Police Department requested FBI Seattle’s assistance in locating Uchida, who was thought to have fled the country.
“Thanks to successful international partnerships and the FBI’s global reach, fugitives from justice can find few places to hide. This case highlights the determination of the FBI and Kirkland Police Department to hold someone accountable who is charged with harming our community’s most vulnerable citizens,” said SAC Voiret.
Mark Nichols, assistant special agent in charge of FBI Seattle, commended the strong teamwork and incredible efforts of the case agent and squad to bring Mr. Uchida back to the United States to face justice. “This case is an example of all levels of law enforcement working together to protect the youth of Washington state.”
The FBI Seattle Field Office credits the Royal Malaysia Police, the Immigration Department of Malaysia, the U.S. Embassy – Kuala Lumpur, the FBI Legal Attaché office in Kuala Lumpur, FBI Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Transportation Command in coordinating Uchida’s deportation to the United States to face charges in King County. The case is being investigated by the Kirkland Police Department and prosecuted by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The public is reminded that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.