Pocatello man faces additional charges of CSAM from 2024 arrest
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POCATELLO — A 29-year-old Pocatello man is facing additional felony charges from an incident in 2024, in which he was accused of taking inappropriate photos of two young girls.
EastIdahoNews.com previously reported that Adrian Ray Cantu was charged in December 2024 with one felony count of possession of child sexual abuse material. He is scheduled for a jury trial on that charge at 9 a.m. on June 14 before District Judge Robert Naftz.
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Cantu’s newest charges relate to more CSAM allegedly found in his possession involving the 7-year-old and 12-year-old girls.
Charging documents say some of the photos show an adult’s hand exposing a girl. In other images, Cantu’s genitalia is visible, according to prosecutors. He is now facing eight felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child through production based on these photos.
If Cantu is found guilty, he faces a maximum of 240 years in prison.
According to the charges, forensic interviews were conducted with the 7- and 12-year-old girls on Jan. 7, 2025.
During the 7-year-old’s interview, she was unable to recall what had happened to her. The 12-year-old was interviewed and discussed the news reports about Cantu’s arrest. Charges say when asked if Cantu ever inappropriately touched her, she said no.
However, the documents said the 12-year-old did say that when she watched TikTok on his phone, Cantu would rub her stomach.
On Feb. 11, 2025, charges say the mother of the victims contacted detectives and notified them that the older girl had told her that Cantu had inappropriately touched her.
Another interview was conducted, in which prosecutors say she discussed five instances of Cantu touching her over her clothing. She told the interviewer that it made her uncomfortable.
The charges state that when family members confronted Cantu about the images, he got upset and became suicidal. This caused him to be admitted to the Behavioral Health Center in Idaho Falls.
When the first charge was filed, police said their investigation would continue there would likely be more charges.
Cantu is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the new charges at 1:30 p.m. on May 5 before Magistrate Judge Carol Jarman.
Though Cantu has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.