Like I've read all of the text communication between you and this child and it's highly inappropriate for any adult to have with a child, let alone a fourth grade teacher. Okay. Ross Ashenfelter, a 42-year-old fourth grade teacher, was arrested in a sting operation after sending inappropriate messages to a minor. Am I going to prison? Uh I that's out of my wheelhouse. That's not anything >> In August 2025, the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office launched an undercover operation aimed at catching online predators. Detective Drew Sinclair posed as a 13-year-old girl named Claire in an effort to trap the suspects. The ad was simple, just enough to see who would respond. And within hours, someone did. The response messages came from Ross Ashenfelter, a 42-year-old fourth grade teacher and administrator at Lake Roosevelt Elementary School. Ross believed Claire was real. All he saw was an ad and an opportunity, and how he chose to respond would follow him for the rest of his life. At first, the conversation looked casual. Ross responded to the ad like it was just another arrangement. He asked basic questions and Claire, still posing as a 13-year-old, mentioned locations like Ellensburg. But very quickly, the conversation shifted toward money. He asked what it would take to move things forward, and then he requested something. He wanted a photo. So, Detective Drew Sinclair sent a decoy image of a young-looking teenage girl. Ross didn't hesitate. Instead, he kept going as if this wasn't new to him at all. And that's when the tone of the messages began to darken. After Ross revealed his age, Claire suddenly pulled back. But this wasn't real fear. It was part of the operation because the detective wanted to see how he would react. As the texting continued, Ross's intentions became clearer. What started as casual conversation shifted into something deliberate. When they discussed meeting, Ross sent Claire a receipt showing he had booked a room at the Comfort Inn. The reservation was real, and they also discussed payment. After negotiating, he agreed to pay $700 for the night and even mentioned covering the cost of Plan B, basically birth control. That detail alone shows how far ahead he was thinking. By this point, detectives had more than enough information. Through the messages, Ross had revealed personal details about himself, including where he worked. So, on October 13th, 2025, officers drove to Lake Roosevelt Elementary School, where Ross was reportedly handling administrative work during a school break. Hi there. Are you Mr. Ashenfelter? I am. Are you Mr. Ashenfelter? Yeah, hi. Hey, I'm Detective Hoffman, Sheriff's Office. Yeah, hi. Right now, I want to tell you you are under arrest. So, do me a favor, stand up, put your hands behind your back for me. Excuse me. Right now, you're under arrest. Okay. You have This is Detective Sinclair right in front of you. Yeah. He'll explain kind of what's going on. All right. As detectives approached, Ross looked completely calm. Even when he was told he was being arrested, his expression barely changed as if nothing serious had just unfolded. Still, even during that initial interaction, Detective Drew Sinclair did not immediately reveal that he was the one behind Claire. [music] He continued the process carefully, letting the evidence speak for itself. Um I have reason to believe that you've been in communication, uh inappropriate communication, Okay. with a 13-year-old child that lives in Apparently, you told her at some point last week that you were going to come meet up with her, Yeah. and she um and then you didn't. So, she told her mom that she'd been talking to a teacher. We did some investigation and found out that teacher was you. Okay. So, that's why we're here. Okay. Okay? Any weapons or anything on you, sir? >> Uh no. No? Um I would like to talk to you a little bit about um what's been going on, um see what your mentality was, why you did or didn't show up in Ellensburg. Um I'm I'm relieved that you did not. >> No, no. But um I would still like to talk to you about that because it is something that she said was an ongoing conversation for quite some time. Mhm. Um and Um Yeah. And we have all of those text communications between you and Okay. Okay? Okay. Now, Ross's entire future seemed to flash in front of his eyes. When detectives told him they had the full chat history, every message and detail, his face changed. The calm expression faded. He went pale. They read him his rights and began questioning him. So, I want to [snorts] make sure you know that we are recording. Okay. Right now, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Okay. You have the right to decide and talk to a lawyer, have him present with you while you're being questioned. If you can't afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you before any questioning if you wish. You can decide anytime to exercise these rights, not answer questions or make any statements. Do you understand the rights I read you? Yes, I do. Uh no statements. No statements, okay. Assuming Well, this is going to be important. We're going to want to take this with you. Okay. Yes? Yes. Okay. What's the process here? So, like like Detective Sinclair said, he he likes to speak with you. Mhm. But of course, you have the right to not speak to anybody if you don't want to. And he's decided not to He doesn't want to make any statements right now. Okay. Yeah. Um So, what we'll do is um these guys will transport you back to Ellensburg, and you're going to get booked into the Kittitas County Jail for communication with a minor for criminal offenses. Is there a simpler way to do this? Like how? Uh instead of booking and Well, it's a class C felony, and we take communications and the potential like you took some pretty good steps towards um wanting to have the child. So, that's a big deal to us. It should be a big deal to you. >> Detectives made it clear that this was a serious felony, the kind that can permanently damage a person's future. Trying to meet someone underage with inappropriate intentions is not a small mistake. It's a major crime. Yet, with all of that evidence in front of him, was he really going to deny it? What would he possibly say now when the proof was in his own words? What excuse was actually left? So, I guess I'm I'm failing to understand what how you would like to simplify things. Uh it did not happen. So. You didn't communicate with the child? I never met with her and I never intended to. No, I Well, okay. I don't want to ask you any questions because you've asked you've said that you don't want to provide a statement right now. Um I would like to know more of what your version of events and your and your side of the story is, but um until you decide that you kind of want to weigh your mind or write something and have that conversation, I really can't [bell] ask you any questions until How long is this process? Um you'll go to court tomorrow, and then bail will be set. Am I going to prison? Uh I that's out of my wheelhouse. That's not anything >> I mean jail. Do I need to stay the night in jail? Yeah, you'll Yeah, you'll have to see a judge before um you'll have to go to an arraignment or probable cause hearing [music] for the judge to determine that there's probable cause, and then he'll set a bail amount, and um basically, if you do bail out, some criteria that you have to follow, and one of them's probably going to be that you don't have any contact with children. Okay. >> [music] >> So, you probably won't be allowed back to the school for the foreseeable future. So, as expected, Ross denied everything. He said it never happened. He claimed he never intended to meet her. Then, what were those messages about? What about the hotel receipt he sent? And what about the money he agreed to pay? If he never planned to meet her, why take those steps? None of it was a guess. It was documented. It was written in his own words. And even knowing he was facing a felony charge, he chose to deny it. But beyond the charges, there's something harder to ignore. Ross wasn't just some random man online. He was a fourth grade teacher, someone trusted around children every single day. So, if he was willing to take those steps with someone he believed was 13, what does that say about his judgment? And [snorts] can parents really feel comfortable knowing who's standing at the front of that classroom? Is there any way for you know I'm not going to run, I'll show up, is there any way to not need to go all the way to Ellensburg? No, we're going to Ellensburg today. Okay. >> Like I said, I I've read all of the text communication between you and this child and it's highly inappropriate for any adult to have with a child, let alone a fourth grade teacher. Okay. Finally, reality was settling in. When detectives told him they were taking him to Ellensburg and reminded him they had read every message, [music] calling the conversations highly inappropriate for any adult. His composure started to crack. He looked tense and was sweating. His expression said more than his words ever could. He even admitted it was wrong. And that's the part that stands out. He knew he was wrong. He understood it. Yet, he still chose to do it. Do you have any more questions for me? Uh can I contact an attorney or my union rep? Yeah, when we get to the When we get to the jail, uh both Deputy Myers and I work at the jail. That's part of the process when you get booked in is that they'll help you get a hold of an attorney, get that stuff going for you. It's not something we do generally in route to the jail. Yeah. >> Uh but you'll have the availability to make those phone calls and set up better arrange those arrangements. Uh one question I I have for you is is there somebody we should contact for you so you don't just like disappear for the day? Yes. Let somebody know that you are okay and you're alive, you didn't get kidnapped or something like that. And secondly, uh do you take any medication? Yes. What kind of What kind of medication? >> Zoloft. It's So an anxiety medication? >> Yeah. Okay. Do you take any life-sustaining medicine for high blood pressure or diabetes? No. I I also take um um sorry, brain dead. Take down. And you have asthma, is that it? No. Uh I also take um What's it for? Is that if that's easier or the names are tough sometimes. It's for weight loss. For weight loss? Yeah. Uh but nothing you say is life-sustaining. The The Zoloft is important, but um not life-sustaining. Okay. I I can grab that. Is it in Is it Is it Is it in your house? >> Yeah. Yeah, he needs it. We should Okay. Yeah, we can we can arrange We'll have to read you some consent stuff about going inside your home. In that moment, it seemed like he finally realized how deep he had put himself into this situation. The charge, the jail, and the court. And the reputation he had built as a fourth-grade teacher slipping away in a matter of minutes. Everything he worked for was now hanging by a thread. Do you have any more questions for me? Uh is it necessary to handcuff me? I'm not going anywhere. Well, well, yeah, right now, when we get to the car and you're sitting down, we'll move them to the front because it is a long drive and they do kind of suck behind your back. But our policy requires us to have people in our car in handcuffs. But they will be moved to the front of your car. But we'll move them to the front so it's not you're not sitting on them the whole time. Okay. Let's uh let's head down to the car. The search warrant is it does include your car. We're going to search your >> Well, my students will not be ready for tomorrow. Okay. So, he said something that almost didn't make sense at the moment, as if tomorrow was still normal and he would just walk back into that classroom and continue teaching like nothing had happened. After everything that just unfolded, he still spoke as though this was a temporary inconvenience, not a life-altering situation. The reality hadn't fully caught up with him yet. The chief's going to contact the superintendent and let them know. Moments later, the process moved forward and he was escorted out of the building. He was no longer a teacher standing in a school hallway, but a man facing the consequences of his own choices. A warrant covered his phone and his car was taken as a part of the investigation. You have my phone? Yeah. I I sent that. We're going to serve a warrant on it. How far away are your medications? Make sure his house keys are Uh Mr. Ashenfelter, would you like us when we're done with We'll follow you to your house, too. I want to leave this stuff at your house and not in Does that make sense? So, we'll do a really quick search of your car and then we'll drop these off at your house if that's okay. All right, thank you. That says Oh, excuse me. I just got to talk to this teacher union rep, just tell her know where I'm going. Yeah, we'll we'll let you go. Hold on. She's right behind us. Oh, that's her right there. Yeah. You hear the union rep, right here? I was last year. Yeah. Um She don't want her body cameras around the search warrant. Okay. What was that? >> I'm going to Ellensburg to be booked. Okay. Uh you probably want union rep or Uh service. Okay. Little little shock right now. Um Melissa's our union rep. Melissa Steeber. You want me to reach out to her or do you Okay. >> Yes. Do you know my number? I believe so. We verify. I've been booked for inappropriate communications. But I've done nothing, so Okay. And we'll We wrote that down so you know what the jail is like on the phone. And you're in Ellensburg so I can let Adam know? No, it's Kittitas County Jail. Kittitas? Specifically. Probably the next one will be uh reporting. Okay. Okay. I'll give him a call. He couldn't even meet her eyes. He wasn't in any position to ask for help, not with everything unfolding the way it was. And still, he kept denying the wrongdoing, expecting people to believe he had done nothing at all. But how could anyone accept that when the evidence was already laid out? It's hard to imagine what that moment felt like for the staff, watching someone they worked beside every day being taken away under circumstances like this. How long is the booking process? Uh it depends on how busy the jail is. Typically pretty quick, though. Okay. Do I stay overnight or get released? >> You'll stay overnight. Okay. I like communications. Want to avoid it. Yeah. Not good. Not good at all. I prefer that way so I see less people potentially. Yeah, yeah. I would want the same thing. Yeah, real quick. Uh your phone wallet's got a MasterCard in it. That won't work. >> That won't work? Uh it's Well, if I that The Goldman Sachs, I think it was the the the the fancy New York bank name. This is the white card. >> Yeah. I don't think that's activated. >> Okay. Is there another card There's another card in the house? Yeah. Do you know roughly where it is? Maybe where the pills are in the top left top right drawer. Okay. Or the bottom left. And what And what card What kind of card am I looking for? Just take as many as possible. As many as possible. I can do that. Even after all of this, he was still trying to laugh it off, like the situation wasn't as serious as it clearly was. He tried to stay nonchalant with the officers, as if keeping things light might somehow soften what was happening. But in the end, that attitude didn't help him at all. Well, I'm glad I I thought I didn't do anything besides what's on my phone. It's factual. Do you have any other any I told you I would get them. I do have them right here. I just had to bring them back in. I I was counting them in the morning cuz I was I was off. Do you live by yourself? Yes. Okay. I should have told you earlier, but I didn't. Just double-check that you didn't have any in your pockets. Good. Look. Just so you know, there is going to be a camera recording back here. Later that same day, at 11:55 a.m., Ross Ashenfelter was arrested. And he was taken into custody before being transported to Ellensburg for booking into the Kittitas County Jail. He was formally charged with communication with a minor for immoral purposes, a class C felony under Washington law. The investigation was conducted alongside the Washington Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. And it should be in the the record, but like I said, sometimes government's slow and efficient and not the best at paper keeping. Yeah, don't stress too much about that. We're we're talking pretty far down the line that that'll become important uh or needed and that attorney can help. >> I just have the documentation. >> Uh was it Was it filed out of Oregon? It was filed in Oregon. In Oregon, was it in Medford County? Or whatever county Medford's in? >> yeah. Do you remember which county court? That would be That Lake County. Lake County? Okay. We'll put that on there, too. Yeah, it's been expunged. So, whatever whatever attorney could grab that filing from Lake County without too much issue. And I got the thing that can prove it. Okay. Sign it. Yeah, that that'll be That'll be a simple nothing for whatever whatever attorney either you contact or you get. >> prior fact. What's What's What's What's the current step right now? Uh right now, Detective Sinclair and Detective Corporal Martin are conducting a quick search of your car uh pursuant to the search warrant. And then they're going to come here and then we'll do We'll grab I'm going to go grab the stuff out of your house for you and then they're going to uh execute the search warrant on your residence. Car. Yeah, so the the judge signed a search warrant based on Detective Sinclair's probable cause to search your vehicle and your residence um for a specific list. You're going to get a copy of the warrant itself and a list of property, if any, that was taken if pursuant to the warrant. So, you'll also have a copy to see what the warrant was um and what they were looking for. Then, on October 14th, 2025, his bail was set at $100,000. He posted it and was released under strict conditions, including no contact with minors, no unmonitored internet access, and no presence in the Coulee Dam area. However, he pleaded not guilty in Kittitas County Superior Court and his trial was scheduled for January 14th, 2026. As of now, the case appears to be ongoing. If convicted, he could face up to 5 years in prison and mandatory sex offender registration. So, what do you think? Should bail even be an option in cases like this? And do consequences like this truly protect children? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. If you found this video informative, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.