Man accused of creating explicit content of young boy now faces federal charges
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SHELLEY — A former paraprofessional at a local charter school is now facing federal charges in a case involving him allegedly filming and sexually assaulting a 4-year-old boy.
Benjamin Simms, 35, was a part-time music paraprofessional at American Heritage Charter School. According to the school’s website, Simms is no longer listed as a member of its staff.
Simms worked a few hours per week as a music paraprofessional at AHCS and taught private voice lessons in the community. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office previously stated the charges are not connected to his employment and that investigators have found no evidence that any students were victimized.
Simms was originally charged in March with felony possession of child sexually explicit materials and felony lewd conduct with a minor.
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Then, in April, he was charged in a separate case with three felony counts of lewd conduct with a child and three felony counts of producing CSAM.
Those two cases were dismissed in June, as Simms was charged in federal court in late July on felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
These three cases involve the same child, and according to court documents, law enforcement learned of Simms after Snapchat submitted a CyberTip.
The tip involved 15 pieces of media showing the child being used to create explicit content.
Idaho’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the videos and found that in some of the content, the lower half of a man’s face was visible and later matched to Simms.
During the execution of a search warrant of a home in Shelley, investigators found various locations in the home that matched what was seen in the explicit content.
When Simms was interviewed at the Shelley Police Station, after being read his Miranda Rights, he allegedly admitted to creating the explicit content.
The document states that Simms told investigators that he created the content to satisfy the sexual gratification of those he was talking with on social media. When asked why, he said he was anxious and bored.
Simms is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., and a jury trial is set for Oct. 10 at 1:30 p.m. before United States District Judge David C. Nye.
Although Simms has been accused of a crime, that does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If he is found guilty, he faces up to 50 years in prison.
EDITOR’S NOTE:EastIdahoNews.com previously identified Simms as a K-3 music teacher at American Heritage Charter School. He was actually a part-time paraprofessional. We apologize for the error.