Caldwell school bus driver faces 5 additional child pornography charges, waives preliminary hearing

CALDWELL — A Caldwell school bus driver accused of possessing and distributing child pornography is now facing 10 felony counts after prosecutors added five additional charges Wednesday.

Jeremy Wakeley, 42, appeared in court Wednesday morning, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing as prosecutors filed an amended criminal complaint adding five counts of sexual exploitation of a child tied to the distribution of sexually exploitative material.

Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine if Wakeley is convicted.

During the hearing, Wakeley confirmed he understood the additional charges and their possible penalties before formally waiving his right to a preliminary hearing. The case will now move forward in district court.

Wakeley’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 31.

Wakeley was first arrested in January after investigators with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office traced the download of suspected child sexual abuse material to an internet address at a home on East Linden Street in Caldwell. Investigators later executed a search warrant at the home where Wakeley allegedly admitted to using the messaging app Telegram to exchange sexually explicit images and videos of minors online and acknowledged he knew the activity was illegal.

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During the investigation, authorities say they recovered roughly 2,500 files of suspected child pornography from Wakeley’s cellphone and from a USB drive connected to a laptop found in a bedroom he said belonged to him.

Wakeley told investigators he lived alone and denied ever physically abusing a child. Authorities have previously said there is no evidence of local victims connected to the case at this time.

We will continue to follow the case and provide updates as it moves through the court process.