An Issaquah man pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography today, June 22, following his charging in October last year.

61-year-old Philip B. Gilbert, who worked in the IT department of the Archdiocese of Seattle, faces up to 20 years in prison, according to a Department of Justice Western District Court of Washington press release.

Microsoft reported Gilbert’s personal account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January 2019 for uploading images of child rape and molestation. Using a court-obtained search warrant, police found 256 images of child pornography on Gilbert’s personal external hard drive.

Following Gilbert’s Washington arrest in May 2019, a victim in California came forward to report that he had molested her as a minor. For that he has been charged with multiple sex abuse crimes and faces life in prison. Following his federal sentence in Washington for possession of child pornography, he will be transferred to California for the other charges.

The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office in subsequent collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.