Samuel Lee Chue performs a song in May 2019. Court records show he was arrested Feb. 24, 2026, and is facing charges in Whatcom County Superior Court. (Samuel Chue Facebook)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A Bellingham music figure and record label owner has been arrested and is facing child exploitation charges in Whatcom County Superior Court, according to court records and a probable cause affidavit.
Samuel Lee Chue, 34, co-founder of Washingtones Records, was taken into custody by the Bellingham Police Department on Feb. 24, 2026, according to booking records.
PNW Daily could not reach Chue for comment on the arrest.
Charges And Custody Details
Jail records list charges related to pornography involving minors, including allegations of possession. Bail was set at $10,000, or $1,000 cash for release.
Custody records show Chue was released on Feb. 25 after posting bond.
The case remains active, and the charges have not been proven in court.
Affidavit Outlines Kik Tip And Online Activity
According to the probable cause affidavit, the investigation began after a report submitted through the messaging platform Kik in August 2025 regarding a user allegedly sharing content involving minors.
Investigators allege that multiple images were shared and that online chats occurred over a period of time spanning several weeks in mid-2025.
The affidavit states that Chue is accused of sending a number of videos involving minors. Additional allegations outlined in the document describe multiple files involving minors of varying ages being uploaded from a mobile device.
Specific details contained in the affidavit are not being published due to the nature of the material and the involvement of minors.
Community Response In Bellingham Music Scene
In the days following the arrest, members of the Bellingham music community began responding publicly on social media. Chue is known in the Bellingham area as a local musician and as the co-founder of Washingtones Records, and has been active in the local arts community.
“Do NOT ever set foot in my store again,” Cory Blackwood, owner of Ritual Records in downtown Bellingham, said on one of Chue’s recent social media posts.
Most of Chue’s social media accounts for Instagram and TikTok have been taken down.
Multiple artists associated with Washingtones Records have shared statements distancing themselves from Chue.
“We have waited to make a statement until we were able to read the Probable Cause Affidavit,” the artist statement read. “Now that we have, we’ve decided to remove ourselves from any association with Sam Chue and Washingtones Records.”
Other individuals in the community have also posted about the case online, describing the allegations as serious.
Case Ongoing
No additional information about the investigation has been formally released by authorities.
As with all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing abuse or exploitation, help is available. Contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) or visit childhelphotline.org for confidential support.
PNW Daily will update this breaking news story. The case is filed in Whatcom County Superior Court under case number 2510019537.
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