BELLINGHAM—The co-founder of Bellingham’s annual Naked Bike Ride has been charged with two felonies involving the possession and viewing of child pornography, according to Whatcom County Superior Court records.
Zachary Elisha Robertson, 42, of Bellingham, was arrested March 10 by Bellingham police after his wife contacted authorities upon finding him viewing explicit images of children on his laptop, court documents state.
A search warrant executed on the device uncovered approximately 25 images of naked pre-pubescent and pubescent children, according to the probable cause statement. Robertson told his wife the images were references for his self-published 2020 children’s book, “Norma Normal,” which depicts a naked child character living in nature. He claimed he had the files open to delete them, records show.
Detectives stated that the book was published six years earlier and believed Robertson was viewing the material for sexual gratification, documents stated. His wife described him as a nudist who frequently walked around and slept naked, according to the probable cause statement.
Robertson was charged March 11 with one count each of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and viewing (or internet viewing) of such depictions. He pleaded not guilty to both counts and was released after posting $2,500 bail. His jury trial is scheduled for April 27.
Robertson is listed as a co-founder of the Bellingham Naked Bike Ride on his LinkedIn profile.
Author: Mario Lotmore
