Investigators received over a dozen tips for man arrested on child pornography charges
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains graphic details about an individual viewing child pornography. Reader discretion is advised.
IDAHO FALLS — Investigators say they discovered hundreds of images of child pornography on an Idaho Falls man’s Google account.
Jeffrey Benjamin Spracher, 21, is charged with 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child. According to an affidavit of probable cause, the investigation into Spracher began after over a dozen tips were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Court documents do not list who the tips came from.
The Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force contacted the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 28. Detectives focused on a Gmail account that a search warrant tied to Sparcher on Nov. 9.
Investigators searched the files uploaded to Google and over 900 of them were explicit images of children, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, Idaho Falls Police Department stopped Spracher’s vehicle near his apartment on Meppen Drive. As police took Spracher to the Ammon field office, local and state task force investigators started searching his home.
“During the interview, Jeffery admitted to downloading child pornography,” the probable cause statement reads. “Jeffery admitted that the Gmail account was his and that he is interested in pornography that is ‘taboo.'”
While being interviewed, Spracher talked about liking to collect child pornography, including images of toddlers and infants being sexually abused.
Court documents do not detail if investigators uncovered any additional evidence during their search warrant.
Deputies booked Spracher into the Bonneville County Jail, where he remains held on $50,000 bail.
Although Spracher is charged with a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, each count of sexual exploitation of a child holds up to 10 years in prison and or a $10,000 fine.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15 in Bonneville County.