Air traffic controller who reportedly filmed himself having sex in airport tower indicted on child porn charges

IDAHO FALLS — A expansive assemblage has indicted an Idaho Falls man aft he was charged pinch allegedly possessing and distributing kid pornography. He besides reportedly filmed himself having activity successful nan Idaho Falls airdrome tower.

Chase Hornaday, 40, was indicted connected 1 count of distribution of kid pornography and 1 count of possession of kid pornography.

Federal tribunal documents opportunity connected Nov. 27, an Internet Crimes Against Children task unit detective was told astir videos of kid intersexual maltreatment worldly uploaded to nan societal media exertion Kik.

RELATED | Man arrested for kid porn besides allegedly filmed himself having activity successful Idaho Falls Airport tower

The relationship that uploaded nan videos was traced backmost to Hornaday, who reportedly uploaded videos and images of kid pornography and sent them to others.

Officers discovered he worked arsenic an aerial postulation controller for nan FAA astatine nan Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

On Dec. 12, nan detective received a hunt warrant that reportedly showed complete 60 videos and images of kid pornography associated pinch Hornaday. The detective besides recovered that he reportedly “produced big pornography of himself and big females successful nan Idaho Falls Airport Control Tower successful nan aforesaid Kik relationship arsenic nan (child pornography),” according to tribunal documents.

Kik provided nan detective pinch caller chat messages betwixt Hornaday and different users. In 1 message, Hornaday reportedly insinuates that he is going to person a female to bargain her daughter’s underwear.

“She has a 17-year-old daughter… possibly I could get her to bargain a soiled brace of her panties.”

On Jan. 10, Hornaday was stopped by a Bonneville County Sheriff’s lawman successful a parking batch of East 17th Street. He was taken to nan Bonneville County Ammon Field Office, wherever he requested a lawyer and declined to talk pinch investigators.

He was later booked into nan Bonneville County Jail earlier being moved to nan Jefferson County Jail, wherever national inmates are often held.

After searching Hornaday’s phone, detectives recovered astir 300 images of kid pornography.

That afternoon, detectives reportedly listened to jailhouse calls betwixt Hornaday and a relative.

The comparative reportedly asked Hornaday, “What was going connected pinch you?” to which he replied, “I’ve been successful symptom a agelong time, I’ve tried to numb it, I’ve done bad things.”

The comparative later said they didn’t understand, and Hornaday reportedly stated, “I didn’t want to do drugs, and this was different measurement to numb my pain.”

The comparative told Hornaday he “should person done drugs,” to which he replied, “I should person done drugs.”

Court documents authorities nan comparative told him he was “a pedophile now” and nan telephone trim retired arsenic clip ran out.

Seven minutes later, nan 2 had different call, during which nan comparative again asked, “Why?”

Hornaday reportedly responded, “Because it helps numb nan symptom of anything.” The comparative asked, “How did looking astatine naked pictures of children help?” And Hornaday responded, “That’s nan speech we tin person later. I don’t person overmuch time.”

Another six minutes later, nan comparative asks really agelong it has been going on, and he responds, “Maybe a year.”

When asked really aged nan kids successful nan images are, Hornaday reportedly states, “5-18.” Court documents opportunity nan children successful nan videos and photos were arsenic young arsenic infants.

He past reportedly stated, “I tin show you much astir it if you ever want to talk to maine again and effort to travel to an knowing of why I did it because I don’t afloat understand different than I slow recovered it and it was shocking capable to numb nan symptom of each different point that was hurting.”

Hornaday besides stated, “I’ve ne'er touched a child, I’ve ne'er looked astatine a kid successful person, I’ve ne'er wanted to do anything, I’ve ne'er touched anybody.”

Detectives later discovered Hornaday besides had “at slightest 2 restraining orders from nan authorities of Washington that expressly prohibited him from possessing firearms.”

Court documents opportunity Hornaday convinced a female to illegally acquisition guns for him while he was incapable to. The restraining orders for weapon purchasing is scheduled to proceed done Dec. 2033.

Hornaday was released from nan Jefferson County Jail connected May 22 pinch galore pre-trial conditions, including that he “not person aliases usage a instrumentality pinch net access, aliases entree nan internet, without nan anterior support from a Pretrial Services officer.

A assemblage proceedings is scheduled for Hornaday connected Sept 9. If convicted, he could look up to 30 years successful prison.

Though Hornaday has been charged pinch these crimes, it does not needfully mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed guiltless until they are proven guilty.