(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A man has been arrested in Washington state and will be extradited to Colorado Springs to face charges in connection to the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl.
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), an investigation was launched in November of 2024 by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit, which revealed a 16-year-old girl had been having inappropriate conversations and sharing photos with an unknown man on a social media app.
The investigation led to the suspect being identified as 34-year-old Andre Smolyar, who lived in Spokane, Washington. CSPD said detectives from the ICAC unit contacted investigators with the East Washington State Patrol Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF) and began collaborating with them to further the investigation.
In June of 2025, the MECTF arrested Smolyar following an extensive investigation into the sexual exploitation of minors. Smolyar was booked into the Spokane County Jail on numerous charges:
- Promoting a suicide attempt
- Possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct
- Viewing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct
- Communication with a minor for immoral purposes
Once he is released on bond in Washington, he will be extradited to Colorado Springs to face additional charges:
- Human trafficking
- Sexual exploitation of children
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Promoting obscenity to a minor
Both the ICAC Unit and the MECTF in Washington have determined that Smolyar may have committed additional crimes against minors and that he may have used multiple online identities to communicate with minors. It is believed that victims of these crimes may live in Colorado Springs; Spokane, WA; and Orange County, California.
If anyone has any information about Smolyar, his online activity, or potential victims, they are encouraged to contact CSPD and ask to speak to a member of the ICAC Unit.
