Pocatello man charged after allegedly downloading child porn
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POCATELLO — A man police say downloaded eight images depicting nude children as young as 8 has been charged with multiple felonies.
Jason Douglas Malone, 37, faces eight counts sexual exploitation of a child, court records show.
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The Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a tip regarding the alleged sexual exploitation of a child from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Nov. 27, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The tip was initially submitted by Google Inc., which reported eight suspected files of child sexual exploitation.
Investigators submitted subpoenas to Google and an internet provider linked to the account used to download the reported images. The user was identified as Malone, the affidavit says.
The investigators then served a search warrant for Malone’s Google Drive account used to upload the images.
According to the affidavit, the eight images reported were of girls — the youngest around 8 years old, either nude or mostly nude.
The account also had an image of a Ford pickup truck with a license plate visible. Officers searched their database and found that the truck was registered to Malone.
On June 26, ICAC officers, along with officers from several local law enforcement agencies, served a search warrant at Malone’s home. Malone was simultaneously arrested during a traffic stop and brought to the Pocatello Police Department for questioning.
Malone initially denied creating the email account which was used to download the images or viewing such images, but, according to the affidavit, he eventually admitted to downloading images of nude children.
He also admitted to viewing other images of both child sexually exploitative material and child sexual abuse, the affidavit says. The other images allegedly include boy and girls between the ages of 2 and 16.
Malone was arrested and taken to Bannock County Jail, where he was booked and is being held on a $150,000 bond.
Though Malone has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
If he is found guilty, Malone would face up to 80 years in prison.
He is scheduled to appear in court July 9 for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge David Penrod.