Marysville firefighter arrested in child exploitation operation
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 7, 2026
EVERETT — A Marysville Fire District firefighter was among those suspected in a sprawling child exploitation operation in Snohomish County last week.
Dillon Wade, 28, of Arlington, was one of 21 people arrested during “Operation Guardian,” a joint investigation led by Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, according to a release from highway patrol on June 30.
Wade was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on a felony charge of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes on June 30, according to jail records. He was given a $100,000 bond, which he posted and was released from jail on July 2.
A Marysville Fire District spokesperson shared a statement saying they are aware of “the serious situation involving allegations against a district employee.”
Wade was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the fire district said.
“We are cooperating with the appropriate law enforcement agencies and will continue to follow all applicable legal, administrative and employment procedures as we move forward,” the district’s statement said.
Wade was hired by the Marysville Fire District as a firefighter in January 2023, a spokesperson confirmed. He was listed as a firefighter and recognized for completing the state’s three-year journeyman firefighter training in a 2025 annual report shared by the fire district.
The fire district said it could not comment or provide any additional information because the situation is an active criminal investigation and personnel matter.
“The allegations under investigation are unrelated to the delivery of emergency fire or EMS services, and we have received no indication that any patient or member of the public was harmed while in the care of Marysville Fire District,” a spokesperson said.
Operation Guardian involved law enforcement from more than 30 agencies, including the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and Homeland Security, along with dozens of local police departments, a release said. The target was people allegedly involved in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will now determine which criminal charges will be filed, state patrol said.
Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com
