On October 30th, my entire world shattered in a way I never could have imagined. I was jolted awake by the FBI and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Task Force as they served a search warrant on my home. For nearly two hours, I sat in shock and confusion, having no idea what was happening.

Then I was told the unthinkable: my husband of 17 years was arrested on federal felony charges for downloading 195 child pornography images and videos.

In that moment, something inside me broke. The disgust, the grief, the betrayal—every bit of it crashed over me so violently that I could barely breathe. This is a level of violation I never dreamed I would experience, and the emotional fallout is something I’m still trying to survive.

His choices have destroyed the life I thought we had. I’ve been left to carry the financial burden alone—trying to pay every bill on a single income, desperate to somehow keep my home so I still have a roof over my head. I also need a divorce lawyer, but I’ve been told the retainer will be between $3,000 and $5,000. On top of that, he maxed out our HELOC, taking $15,000 to cover his expenses—money I am now legally responsible for because Washington is a community property state.

He made these decisions on his own, in secret and betrayal, and now I am the one left gathering the shattered pieces of my life, trying to survive something I never asked for and never deserved.

Please help if you can. Thank you.