A 34-year-old man from Rexburg, Emmanuel Acosta Perez, has been charged with multiple felonies after authorities discovered he had downloaded and viewed child pornography.

Perez is facing five felony counts of willfully possessing or accessing child sexually exploitative material. The charges were brought against him following an investigation by the Idaho Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit.

The case against Perez began on October 11 when ICAC received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip led investigators to Perez, who resides in Madison County.

According to a deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Perez was found to have videos and images of child pornography on his electronic devices. The material depicted boys aged between seven and 14 engaged in sexual activities with both other children and adults.

On February 15, Perez was apprehended by law enforcement in Rexburg. During the arrest, additional evidence of child pornography was discovered on his phone, hidden in the deleted photos and videos folder.

Perez was taken into custody and declined to speak with investigators without legal representation present. He was subsequently booked into the Madison County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on February 28. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of up to 50 years in prison.

It is important to note that while Perez has been charged with these offences, he is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.