Former deputy coroner faces new charges of CSAM; appears in court over alleged abuse case
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POCATELLO — A former Bannock County deputy coroner who is facing rape, lewd conduct and sexual exploitation of a child charges is now facing nearly a dozen new charges involving sexually explicit content of toddlers and teenagers.
EastIdahoNews.com confirmed with Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner that Jonathan Ray Farnsworth is no longer employed at the coroner’s office.
CSAM charges
Farnsworth, 54, is facing 11 new counts of felony possession of child sexual abuse materials after a search warrant was approved on June 2 to search his cellphone.
RELATED | Bannock County deputy coroner arrested, charged with abusing 2 women when they were minors
According to court documents, a forensic scan of Farnsworth’s phone was completed on June 3, and a search of the contents was done a day later.
Detectives discovered 11 pieces of media involving CSAM, with the ages of the children ranging from a toddler to 13 years of age, being sexually abused. The document states that the detectives recommended 11 felony counts of possession of CSAM be filed against Farnsworth. Those charges were filed on June 8.
According to Idaho’s Crime Repository, Farnsworth is listed as having a public defender from the Bannock County Public Defender’s office for this case involving CSAM. EastIdahoNews.com reached out and was informed that Farnsworth has not submitted an application for a public defender at this time.
Regarding his rape, lewd conduct and sexual exploitation charges, Farnsworth has retained Allen Browning as his defense attorney.
Rape, lewd conduct, and sexual exploitation charges
Farnsworth was initially arrested and charged on May 28, for four felony counts of lewd conduct with a child, one felony count of sexual exploitation of a child and one felony count of rape.
What brought Farnsworth’s case into the light of law enforcement was when two women came forward to the Pocatello Police Department about his alleged sexual abuse.
Both women recounted multiple instances of Farnsworth sexually abusing them when they were 15 years old, and for one woman, since she was the age of 5.
Farnsworth appeared in court on Tuesday, where Browning explained to Judge Tippi Jarman that he had filed a waiver of time for the preliminary hearing because he had just been hired to the case that morning. Jarman granted the waiver and set a new date for Farnsworth’s preliminary hearing on July 14 at 1:30 p.m.
Though Farnsworth has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.