New sexual abuse charges for woman accused of making child pornography
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IDAHO FALLS – An Idaho Falls woman was arrested after allegedly taking videos of a 2-year-old that were sexual in nature.
Rexanna Johnston, 32, was originally charged with six counts of felony possessing or accessing child sexually exploitative material.
As of 2:30 p.m. Friday, she was additionally charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16, three counts of causing, inducing or permitting a child to engage in or be used for child sexually exploitative material and one count of knowingly distributing child sexually exploitative material.
Her bond was also increased to $350,000.
Police reports show on July 17, an officer with the Idaho Falls Police Department was notified by the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children that someone in Idaho Falls had uploaded a video of child sexual abuse material to the internet.
The video allegedly showed an adult man raping a young child between the ages of 3 to 5.
On Aug. 1, the officer got a search warrant for a cloud account identified as belonging to Johnston.
On the account, the officer reportedly found videos taken on Snapchat of a 2-year-old in sexual positions, according to court documents.
Through investigation, officers were able to determine that the child’s mother was incarcerated in Idaho from July 21 to Aug. 2 and that the child was being taken care of by Johnston during at least part of this time.
Because of this information, officers got a search warrant for Johnston’s home.
Johnston and her fiancé were interviewed by police, where they discovered the child was now in the care of another relative at a different Idaho Falls residence.
Johnston refused to answer any questions without a lawyer present.
Johnston was arrested after the search warrant was served and was booked into the Bonneville County Jail with a bond of $60,000. A no-contact order was issued for the victim.
Johnston is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 16. If convicted, she could face up to life in prison.
Though Johnston has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
IFPD, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Department, the Idaho State Police and Special Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations all assisted the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit with the arrest.
Idaho Attorney Generals Raul Labrador’s Office sent out a news release on Thursday about the arrest, calling the crimes “deeply unsettling.”
“The alleged crimes in this case are deeply unsettling. I am consistently inspired by the unwavering dedication of the ICAC unit and their tireless work,” Attorney General Labrador said. “Protecting the most vulnerable members of our community is a collective responsibility, and we rely on your help. Please continue to report any instances of child abuse to our ICAC unit, as your cooperation plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of our children.”
We reached out to the Attorney General’s office, but they declined to comment at this phase in the investigation. EastIdahoNews.com will update you as soon as we learn more.
Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the attorney general’s ICAC Unit at (208) 947-8700 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678.