Seattle youth therapist flees US after child porn charges

A Seattle child psychologist fled the country to China after being arrested on child porn charges, then bailing out of jail.

SEATTLE - A local youth therapist who police arrested for child pornography was able to flee the U.S.

Law enforcement at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport stopped the suspect, Yuexiang "Bruce" Ling, but documents obtained by FOX 13 Seattle say Port of Seattle officers let the accused child sex exploiter go due to confusion over red tape.

FOX 13 obtained emails highlighting the misunderstanding between several law enforcement agencies. One email from Homeland Security to King County Sheriff reads:

"Contact has been made and Port of Seattle police was on scene and declined detention of the subject due to the lack of warrant. Unfortunately, subject was released and boarded his outbound flight."

"We believe they absolutely could have arrested him, and we were under the belief that they would have, because they did not need a warrant to arrest him," said Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

McNerthney tells FOX 13 Seattle that Ling could have been arrested for two separate things: bail jumping by trying to board a flight, and for violating his release orders by getting a passport.

Probable cause documents obtained by FOX 13 Seattle show 26-year-old Ling worked as a family and children’s therapist.

According to the documents, Ling was employed with Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care. Ling claimed that in that role, he collaborated with schools, the Department of Children, Youth & Families, Child Protective Services and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Police discovered dozens of images of child pornography in a computer file, alongside a file of his cover letter for an application to Seattle Children’s Hospital.

(File / FOX 13)

Ling bonded out of jail with possibly as little as $7,500 dollars out-of-pocket.

He turned over his IDs and a Chinese passport to police, but somehow acquired a new, illegal passport, which he brought to the airport with the goal of fleeing the country.

Despite U.S. Homeland Security flagging his planned escape, and the King County Sheriff's Office notifying Port of Seattle to make an arrest — which other court documents show they agreed to — officers let Ling board an airplane to China.

FOX 13 Seattle asked McNerthney why officers did not make an arrest.

"That's a question for the Port. We believe they absolutely could have arrested him," said McNerthney. "This isn't a pattern for the Port of Seattle Police. We work with them all the time. They have great officers. This seems like an unfortunate circumstance."

The Port of Seattle Police told FOX 13 Seattle they are looking into the situation. They also emphasized that in order to make an arrest there must be a warrant or probable cause. An official with the police department told us it is uncertain if they had either of those at the time of the incident.

FOX 13 Seattle also reached out to Ling's reported employer, Valley Cities, and DCYF and Seattle Children's Hospital, who are listed as organizations he worked alongside.

DCYF told FOX 13 Seattle they have no contracts with companies who employed Ling.

Seattle Children's Hospital also confirmed with FOX 13 Seattle that Ling did not work as an employee, contractor or student for the hospital, research institute or their foundation.

Valley Cities has not responded.