Local man admits to using Tumblr to access child pornography, court documents say - East Idaho News
Crime Watch

Local man admits to using Tumblr to access child pornography, court documents say

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IDAHO FALLS — A local man is facing criminal charges after Tumblr, a microblogging and social media network, alerted authorities of child pornography use.

Brian Wayne Hillyard, 62, is facing five felony counts of possession of child pornography. According to the affidavit of probable cause, the investigation began when the social media platform notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

An Idaho Falls Police Department detective reported on Jan. 16, Hillyard admitted to police he had used his Tumblr account to view child pornography. Hillyard willingly turned his phone over to police at the Law Enforcement Building.

In the affidavit, detectives describe the dozens of disturbing images and videos involving children between the ages of 8 and 14 found on the phone.

Following their investigation, police arrested Hillyard on June 25 and booked him into the Bonneville County Jail. He remains behind bars on $100,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing for Hillyard is scheduled for July 10.

If convicted of all counts, Hillyard could be ordered to spend up to 50 years in prison.

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