Teen sentenced for sexually abusing children and family dog
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IDAHO FALLS — A judge sentenced a teenage boy who took photos of himself sexually abusing a child and having intercourse with the family dog.
The 17-year-old, who was charged as an adult with felony lewd conduct received his sentence Thursday. District Judge Joel Tingey suspended a three to 20-year prison sentence as the teen is still undergoing programming with the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections. EastIdahoNews.com is not naming the teen due to his age and to protect the identity of the victims.
A second felony count of lewd conduct was dropped by Bonneville County prosecutors.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating the now-17-year-old in 2020 when he was 16. A detective’s report says deputies went into the teen’s filthy home in February 2020. Noting the smell of the house and piles of garbage made it impossible to open some of the doors.
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Investigators say feces were on the floor, and flies swarmed in the air. Due to the home’s condition, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare was called in, and workers said they would take measures to protect the young children who lived inside.
A tip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led investigators to the home, saying the teen had child pornography. Investigators searched his phone and discovered images of him sexually abusing a child who was around 6 years old. Additional photos on the phone showed the teenager having sex with the family’s Dachshund.
Based on the images, investigators booked the teenager into the 3B Detention Center for possession of child pornography. It is not clear if that charge was ever prosecuted. It is not listed in public court records due to the suspect being a juvenile.
While in custody, investigators spoke with a witness in the teen’s home who has developmental disabilities. The witness described the teen sexually abusing a 5 and a 6-year-old boy.
Court records show the teen was also ordered to pay a $750 fine.