BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – A 32-man from Idaho Falls has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for possession and distribution of Child Pornography.
Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced Tuesday that Christian Angel Tinoco was convicted of ten (10) counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Distributing Sexually Exploitative Material (Child Pornography) and ten (10) counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material.
The Distribution of Sexually Exploitative Material is a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and the Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to the Attorney General’s office.
“Removing these predators from our streets is a top priority for our office,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Our ICAC prosecutors and investigators work hard to deliver justice for these tragically young victims of such disturbing crimes. I’m continually grateful for the partnerships that have been built across the state. Protecting children in our communities is a team effort, and we’ve built a great team.”
Tinoco will be eligible for parole after three years and will be required to register as a sex offender according to Idaho law.
The case against Tinoco
In January of 2024, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received a tip that an account linked to 32-year-old Tinoco contained Child Pornography and other child sexual abuse material (CSAM). After obtaining search warrants, law enforcement searched Tinoco’s home and digital devices.
Digital Forensic examiners from the Attorney General’s office found multiple files of CSAM and chat logs showing Tinoco was exchanging child pornography with multiple people online. Many of those files depicted children, both male and female, as young as approximately one month old, according to forensic investigators with the AG’s office, and some of these files depicted children engaging in sexual acts with adults.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General James Haws. The lead investigators on the case were Jared Mendenhall from the Idaho Falls Police Department and Korey Payne from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. Both serve in the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit.
The AG’s office and ICAC encourage anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
