25-year-old gets rider after being charged with 10 felony counts of child porn possession

Teagan Swanson during his sentencing connected Wednesday. | Kaitlyn Hart, EastIdahoNews.com

IDAHO FALLS — A 25-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday aft pleading blameworthy to 3 counts of possessing kid pornography.

District Judge Bruce Pickett sentenced Teagan Swanson to a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 10 years successful prison.

Pickett past retained jurisdiction, placing Swanson connected a “rider” program, wherever Swanson will complete a curen programme successful situation for 1 year. Once nan programme is over, Pickett tin determine whether to nonstop Swanson to situation for his fixed condemnation aliases merchandise him connected probation.

RELATED | 25-year-old pleads blameworthy to possessing ‘extreme’ kid pornography

Swanson initially pleaded not blameworthy to 10 felony counts of willfully possessing kid sexually exploitative material.

He later accepted a plea statement successful April, agreeing to plead blameworthy to 3 of nan 10 counts successful speech for nan prosecution dropping nan remaining charges and recommending a retained jurisdiction astatine sentencing.

Sentencing

Swanson’s defense attorney, Curtis Smith, began his arguments by telling nan tribunal he had known Swanson and his family for a agelong time, explaining that this was an particularly difficult lawsuit for him.

“Judge, this is simply a lawsuit that’s very difficult for me, because nan young man sitting adjacent to maine is personification that I’ve coached, and that I’ve known for a agelong time,” said Smith. “His parents are bully friends and fantabulous group successful this community, who I’ve watched service our organization successful much astonishing ways than I could moreover statesman to count today.”

Smith told nan tribunal that Swanson has accepted work for his actions, has nary erstwhile criminal record, and said location are variables successful Swanson’s life, including playing sports arsenic a kid and suffering from concussions, that could’ve led to nan determination to download kid pornography.

RELATED | Idaho Falls man charged pinch 10 felonies aft allegedly possessing ‘extreme’ kid porn

“He played a batch of sports, he suffered a batch of concussions. Approximately three-and-a-half years ago, he knowledgeable a BMX motorcycle concussion that was again, very serious,” said Smith. “There is nary doubt, successful (the pre-sentence investigator’s) mind, that nan concussions that were suffered, and nan ongoing concussion astir three-and-a-half years ago, really led to this slump and anxiety, which past led to wherever we are coming pinch this determination making process.”

According to Smith, Swanson was sent a nexus to kid pornography aft joining a car/motorcycle group successful KIK, a messaging app. He past participated successful sending links backmost to nan group and downloading kid pornography to his computer.

“My client’s test is not that he suffers pinch pedophilia aliases those kinds of things. In fact, if we put this connected a standard aliases a level, he is measurement complete present connected a level that’s truthful treatable,” said Smith. “And I cognize that’s difficult to talk about, because nary of this is bully for nan logic that we’re present for.”

Bonneville County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lou Harris besides based on for Pickett to norm successful tandem pinch nan plea agreement, but pointed retired that Swanson seems to person a difficult clip realizing that nan children successful nan pornographic videos are victims of abuse.

“The rumor that nan interrogator had was that Mr. Swanson seemed he was profoundly ashamed that he was caught watching kid porn, but was alternatively detached from nan conception that nan children were victims, that were being forced to prosecute successful activity acts astatine very young ages,” said Harris. “We moreover had a mobility astir forwarding specified images to different people, and you don’t cognize their level of information successful that whole, I conjecture you’d telephone it, seedy world.”

Swanson concisely addressed nan tribunal done tears, apologizing for nan harm he caused.

“I would conscionable for illustration to opportunity really sorry I am, for what happened,” said Swanson. “I tin committedness that it won’t hap again.”

Pickett past explained his ruling earlier pronouncing sentence, saying that he could not warrant placing Swanson connected probation, arsenic he has to group an illustration for nan protection of society.

“You’re 25-years-old. I admit your counsel’s chat astir nan concussions,” said Pickett. “I was struck frankly erstwhile nan State said ‘This could beryllium your adjacent doorway neighbor.” And that’s why I telephone this a plague connected our society, is because it tin be. It tin beryllium personification who you know, and is simply a bully personification and has a bully family.”

Background

According to tribunal documents, connected Aug. 5, 2022, an Idaho Falls Police detective was assigned a cyber extremity from nan National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The extremity stated MediaLab/Kik discovered 1 of its users uploaded 3 “extreme” videos of kid intersexual maltreatment worldly to a Kik relationship successful April. According to nan IP address, nan personification was believed to beryllium located successful eastbound Idaho.

“These videos from nan cyber extremity show convulsive and forceful kid rape acts pinch females arsenic young arsenic 4- to 5-years-old up to astir 14 years old,” nan detective wrote successful documents.

On Jan. 19, 2023 a hunt warrant was executed astatine nan Idaho Falls location wherever Swanson lived. He was taken to nan Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for an interview.

The detective asked Swanson astir nan net accounts he utilized – specifically his Kik account. He initially told nan detective he didn’t retrieve what his username was. But Swanson did opportunity that a username suggested by nan detective whitethorn person been his successful nan past, according to tribunal documents.

The detective asked him astir nan 3 videos that were uploaded to Kik. He admitted he would person nan video links from groups connected Kik and moreover said he would nonstop links backmost to nan group.

“Swanson recognized what he did was incorrect by sharing those images and links,” a detective wrote. He past told nan detective that Kik was nan only app wherever he viewed kid pornography.

The detective said Swanson talked astir pornography addiction. The detective asked him what percent of nan pornography Swanson had ever viewed was of children. He didn’t reply nan mobility straight but said it was conscionable a “handful of times … not each day,” documents said.

The detective repeated nan mobility again and Swanson allegedly said, “Maybe 10% of nan time.”

The detective past asked Swanson what nan youngest kid he ever saw connected nan net was. Swanson said 15 to 16 years old.

On Jan. 25, nan detective examined Swanson’s phone.

“In total, I recovered astir 158 images of (child pornography) conscionable connected this 1 device. Further examinations of Swanson’s different devices are forthcoming,” nan detective wrote.

These images showed aggregate children who were arsenic young arsenic infants being sexually abused.