Key Points
- Yunus Mensur Nuru, 25, a Kent man, was charged on June 18, 2026 in King County Superior Court with first-degree child molestation, first-degree voyeurism, and attempted first-degree voyeurism
- The charges stem from alleged incidents at the Target store in Factoria Mall, Bellevue, on June 6, 2026
- Surveillance video showed Nuru following “numerous female children and young women” and filming their buttocks and genital areas without knowledge or consent
- Nuru allegedly molested an unidentified 6-year-old girl in the toy aisle while she looked at toys, and also filmed up her dress
- Two 13-year-old girls were stalked and filmed for an extensive time; both were completely unaware they were being recorded
- Nuru concealed his phone behind pillars and boxes, used shirts to hide his face, and angled his phone up children’s shorts on multiple occasions
- A customer confronted Nuru after seeing him record victims; he fled, hid in a stairwell, removed his shirt, and escaped in a silver Ford Focus
- Target’s loss prevention specialist reported suspicious behavior and provided surveillance footage to Bellevue Police, initiating the investigation
- Nuru was arrested on June 16, 2026 at a home in Kent (3500 block of S. 249th Pl.) by Bellevue Police Department
- Bail is set at $200,000; prosecutors argued he poses a risk to children and requested no contact with minors and restriction from Target stores in King County
- Bellevue Police spokesperson Drew Anderson stated, “It was as bad as it sounds. A stranger followed children while they were out shopping and subsequently recorded them without their knowledge or consent”
- Police believe there could be more victims and that Nuru “could be associated with similar crimes that have happened across the region”
- Anyone who believes they were a victim is encouraged to contact Bellevue Police at bellevuepd@bellevuewa.gov or 425-577-5656
- Nuru has a pending physical-control case in SeaTac Municipal Court
- The investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement determining additional victims may exist in Bellevue or across the region
Bellevue (King County Insider) June 19, 2026 — A serious child sex crimes case has emerged from the Target store at Factoria Mall in Bellevue, Washington, where surveillance footage captured a 25-year-old man allegedly molesting a 6-year-old girl and secretly filming multiple underage females without their knowledge or consent.
How Did Target Loss Prevention Discover the Suspect’s Actions?
According to court documents and a police probable-cause statement, the investigation began after a Target loss prevention employee reported suspicious behavior and provided surveillance footage to the Bellevue Police Department. As reported by the FOX 13 Seattle news team, Bellevue Police say Target’s loss prevention team was the first to sound the alarm after Yunus Nuru, 25, was spotted recording children in the store.
The loss prevention specialist provided officers with evidence from the evening of June 6, the Bellevue Police Department reported. This critical intervention from store security personnel enabled detectives to identify Nuru as the suspect and proceed with the investigation.
What Did Surveillance Video Show About Nuru’s Behavior?
Store surveillance video reportedly showed Nuru following girls and young women through the store and using a cellphone to record or photograph under their skirts or shorts without their knowledge. Investigators said in court documents that these images show Nuru following, “numerous female children and young women” while he “filmed their buttocks and genital areas”.
Police say security video showed Nuru appearing to stalk young victims inside for around 45 minutes before fleeing the store. As reported by journalists at KOMO News, investigators said that for upskirt filming, Nuru seemed to show primary interest in children as young as 6, teens, and young women no older than their early 20s.
In some images, police say you can see him “concealing his phone” behind a pillar before recording the young woman in front of him. Police say with one victim he, “angled his phone up this child’s shorts on 3 occasions”. In one picture, at far left, police say he pointed his phone at what looks like a 10-year-old and then a girl who’s looking at swimsuits. Police say the photo at the far right shows him using a shirt to hide his face as “he crouches down and takes photos”.
Which Specific Victims Were Identified in Charging Documents?
Prosecutors indicated that there were several incidents of this behavior, but they chose to focus on two specific June 6 incidents for the charges.
For the first incident, court records allege that two 13-year-old girls were stalked and filmed while they shopped, with Nuru following them for an extensive amount of time and strategically angling his phone to film up their shorts. Investigators said that despite him reportedly filming them for an extensive amount of time, both 13-year-old girls were completely unaware.
For the second incident, prosecutors allege Nuru molested an unidentified girl around 6 years old while she was looking at toys, positioning himself to have sexual contact with the unaware child when she moved to crouch down on the aisle. He also allegedly filmed up her dress. Investigators said that the 6-year-old seemed unaware during the molestation.
Investigators say he also targeted a 6-and 8-year-old in the toy aisle by using “his cart in a way he’d likely block the view”. Police went on to say that while both children were focused on the toys, he could be seen “holding his phone with his left hand underneath the smallest girl’s dress”.
Throughout both incidents, prosecutors said Nuru was constantly looking around for other customers and moving in ways to deliberately obscure what he was doing.
How Did the Suspect Flee After Being Confronted?
After allegedly molesting the child, Nuru returned to the previous 13-year-old victim for more filming, but was confronted by a customer and fled the store. According to police documents, a customer ultimately confronted him after seeing him trying to record other victims.
Police say he fled after the confrontation and then “apparently hides in a stairwell and removes his shirt before getting into a silver Ford Focus”. Investigators tracked the car and arrested him.
When and Where Was Yunus Nuru Arrested?
Court records state Nuru was arrested on June 16 by the Bellevue Police Department. Nuru was arrested Tuesday at a home in Kent in the 3500 block of S. 249th Pl..
As reported by the KOMO News team, prosecutors noted in a bail filing that he has a pending physical-control case in SeaTac Municipal Court.
What Charges Were Filed Against Yunus Nuru in King County Superior Court?
Yunus Mensur Nuru, 25, was charged on June 18 with one count of first-degree child molestation, one count of first-degree voyeurism, and one count of attempted first-degree voyeurism, according to court records.
As reported by (journalist team) of (KOMO News), the charges stem from an investigation into alleged incidents at a Target store in Bellevue on June 6, according to charging documents and a police probable-cause statement.
The 25-year-old man has been charged with child molestation in the first degree, voyeurism in the first degree, and attempted voyeurism in the first degree, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Police said Nuru is accused of targeting young girls at the Target store in Factoria.
What Did Prosecutors Request Regarding Bail Conditions?
Prosecutors requested that bail remain set at $200,000, arguing in court filings that Nuru poses a risk to children if released. His bail is set at $200,000.
They also asked the court to impose conditions, including prohibiting contact with minors and restricting access to Target stores in King County.
Why Do Police Believe There Could Be More Victims?
Bellevue Police spokesperson Drew Anderson said, “It was as bad as it sounds. A stranger followed children while they were out shopping and subsequently recorded them without their knowledge or consent”.
“We are doing everything we can to get a fuller scope of just how big this case could be,” said Drew Anderson, Bellevue Police Department spokesperson. “There are still a lot of details we are looking to confirm, just what he was doing,” said Anderson.
“This suspect could be associated with many other crimes,” said Anderson. “He could be associated with similar crimes that have happened across the region,” Anderson said.
“We unfortunately believe there could be more victims out there,” said Anderson. Bellevue Police state that the investigation into this case is still ongoing. Due to the evidence obtained by the investigation, law enforcement determined Nuru may be associated with similar crimes, and additional victims may exist in Bellevue or across the region.
Police believe there could be more victims.
How Can Potential Victims Contact Bellevue Police?
Anyone who believes they were a victim of Nuru or has information about someone who may be a victim is encouraged to contact the Bellevue Police Department at bellevuepd@bellevuewa.gov or call the department’s non-emergency line at 425-577-5656.
If a community member believes they were a victim of Yunus Nuru or has information about someone who may be a victim, they are encouraged to contact the Bellevue Police Department at either bellevuepd@bellevuewa.gov or calling the department’s non-emergency line at 425-577-5656.
Police ask that you call 425–577-5656 if you suspect him in another crime or were victimized.
Background of the Yunus Nuru Criminal Development
The criminal case involving Yunus Mensur Nuru emerged from a targeted investigation initiated by retail security personnel at the Target store located in Factoria Mall, Bellevue, Washington. The Target Factoria store is situated at 4053 Factoria Square Mall SE, Bellevue, WA 98006-1286.
The incident occurred on June 6, 2026, when surveillance cameras captured Nuru’s suspicious behavior over approximately 45 minutes inside the store. Target’s loss prevention department, which employs specialists trained to identify suspicious activities, identified Nuru’s actions as criminal and immediately contacted the Bellevue Police Department.
The Bellevue Police Department, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, dispatched detectives who reviewed the surveillance footage and identified Nuru as the suspect. investigators tracked Nuru’s silver Ford Focus vehicle to a residence in Kent, Washington, located in the 3500 block of S. 249th Pl., where they arrested him on June 16, 2026.
The case was submitted to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which filed charges in King County Superior Court on June 18, 2026. The prosecuting attorney’s office determined that the evidence supported filing three felony charges: first-degree child molestation, first-degree voyeurism, and attempted first-degree voyeurism.
Nuru has a prior criminal record that includes a pending physical-control case in SeaTac Municipal Court, according to prosecutors’ bail filing. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office provided the booking photos and surveillance images used in court documents.
How Will This Development affect Parents and Families Shopping at Bellevue Target Stores?
This development will significantly affect parents, families, and children who shop at Target stores in the Bellevue area and across King County. The case has heightened awareness about child safety in retail environments, particularly in stores where children browse toys and clothing aisles independently while parents shop elsewhere in the store.
Parents shopping at the Factoria Mall Target store and other King County Target locations may now feel increased vigilance when accompanied by young children, especially girls who match the demographic Nuru targeted. The 45-minute duration of Nuru’s stalking behavior before being confronted demonstrates how longer shopping trips could expose children to extended periods of vulnerability.
Families with children ages 6 to 13, the primary age range Nuru targeted, should consider keeping children within close physical proximity during shopping trips rather than allowing them to browse toy aisles or clothing sections independently. The case specifically highlights risks in toy aisles where children crouch down to examine items, creating opportunities for offenders to position themselves for inappropriate contact or filming.
The announcement that police believe there could be more victims across the region may cause families to review their own shopping experiences from June 6 and potentially contact Bellevue Police if they recognize suspicious behavior from that day. Parents who shopped at the Factoria Target on June 6 should review surveillance footage from their personal devices if available and contact authorities if they witnessed Nuru’s behavior.
The $200,000 bail setting and prosecutor requests for no-contact-with-minors conditions indicate the seriousness of the charges, which may increase community concern about child safety in public spaces. Parents may seek additional information about store security measures and loss prevention protocols at Target locations throughout King County.
The ongoing investigation and potential for additional victims means families should remain alert to suspicious behavior by strangers following children in retail environments, particularly individuals concealing phones or cameras while near minors. Parents should be prepared to confront suspicious individuals and contact law enforcement immediately, as the customer who confronted Nuru did on June 6.
