Rexburg man gets rider after exchanging sexual photos and videos with 13-year-old
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REXBURG — A 21-year-old Rexburg man was sentenced after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to a minor living across the country.
District Judge Alan Stephens gave Colton Pierson three to nine years in prison but then retained jurisdiction, placing Pierson on a rider, where he will complete a treatment program in prison for one year. Once the program is over, Stephens can decide whether to send Pierson to prison for his given sentence or release him on probation.
Pierson will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay at least $1,000 in fines.
Pierson initially pleaded not guilty to four counts of willfully possessing or accessing child sexually exploitative material, one count of inducing or permitting a child to engage in or be used for child sexually exploitative material, and one count of enticing a child through the internet.
He signed a plea agreement in June, agreeing to plead guilty to one count of willfully possessing or accessing child sexually exploitative material and one count of enticing a child through the internet.
In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss all remaining charges and recommend two to eight years in prison at sentencing.
Background
According to court documents, a detective with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was assigned a case originating from the Holly Springs Police Department in North Carolina.
The case involved Pierson communicating with a minor from North Carolina and sending inappropriate images to her.
In June, detectives met with Pierson at the Rexburg Police Department. Pierson told police that he had an online girlfriend in North Carolina who was 19 years old.
He then said the girl was really 16. But according to court documents, she was actually 13 years old.
Later, Pierson told police the girl told him she might have to repeat middle school because she wasn’t doing well.
Pierson denied being friends with her on Facebook, but detectives later found that was a lie.
He told police that he had been in a relationship with her for over a year, and had never met with her in person, but they talk online through applications like Roblox and Discord.
Pierson showed his phone to the police after they asked him about it, which showed sexual messages, including calling her his “sex slave,” documents said.
The detective asked if Pierson ever requested naked pictures from her, and he said no.
Law enforcement found nude images were sent to him, court documents said. Pierson said that the images were saved on his phone gallery and that he had deleted them after police visited his home.
He told police that the first time he received them was not long after their relationship began, court documents said.
Detectives asked him how old he thought she really was. Documents said he hesitated and said, “Maybe 15 or 16.”
He then admitted sending inappropriate messages to her. The two sent each other videos of themselves engaged in sexual acts, according to court documents.
In one message sent to the girl, Pierson allegedly wrote, “I just want you to be safe. If they found out we are still talking, the cops will probably come after me.”
He sent her another message later that said, “I don’t care what happens, I don’t care if I go to jail.”
An arrest warrant was issued in December, and Pierson was booked into the Madison County Jail with a $25,000 bond.