Rexburg man gets rider after exchanging sexual photos and videos with 13-year-old

REXBURG — A 21-year-old Rexburg man was sentenced aft admitting to sending inappropriate messages to a insignificant surviving crossed nan country.

District Judge Alan Stephens gave Colton Pierson 3 to 9 years successful situation but past retained jurisdiction, placing Pierson connected a rider, wherever he will complete a curen programme successful situation for 1 year. Once nan programme is over, Stephens tin determine whether to nonstop Pierson to situation for his fixed condemnation aliases merchandise him connected probation.

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Pierson will besides beryllium required to registry arsenic a activity offender and salary astatine slightest $1,000 successful fines.

Pierson initially pleaded not blameworthy to 4 counts of willfully possessing aliases accessing kid sexually exploitative material, 1 count of inducing aliases permitting a kid to prosecute successful aliases beryllium utilized for kid sexually exploitative material, and 1 count of enticing a kid done nan internet.

He signed a plea statement successful June, agreeing to plead blameworthy to 1 count of willfully possessing aliases accessing kid sexually exploitative worldly and 1 count of enticing a kid done nan internet.

In exchange, nan prosecution agreed to disregard each remaining charges and urge 2 to 8 years successful situation astatine sentencing.

RELATED | Madison County man charged aft allegedly sending intersexual messages to underage woman successful different state

Background

According to tribunal documents, a detective pinch nan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was assigned a lawsuit originating from nan Holly Springs Police Department successful North Carolina.

The lawsuit progressive Pierson communicating pinch a insignificant from North Carolina and sending inappropriate images to her.

In June, detectives met pinch Pierson astatine nan Rexburg Police Department. Pierson told constabulary that he had an online woman successful North Carolina who was 19 years old.

He past said nan woman was really 16. But according to tribunal documents, she was really 13 years old.

Later, Pierson told constabulary nan woman told him she mightiness person to repetition mediate schoolhouse because she wasn’t doing well.

Pierson denied being friends pinch her connected Facebook, but detectives later recovered that was a lie.

He told constabulary that he had been successful a narration pinch her for complete a year, and had ne'er met pinch her successful person, but they talk online done applications for illustration Roblox and Discord.

Pierson showed his telephone to nan constabulary aft they asked him astir it, which showed intersexual messages, including calling her his “sex slave,” documents said.

The detective asked if Pierson ever requested naked pictures from her, and he said no.

Law enforcement recovered nude images were sent to him, tribunal documents said. Pierson said that nan images were saved connected his telephone assemblage and that he had deleted them aft constabulary visited his home.

He told constabulary that nan first clip he received them was not agelong aft their narration began, tribunal documents said.

Detectives asked him really aged he thought she really was. Documents said he hesitated and said, “Maybe 15 aliases 16.”

He past admitted sending inappropriate messages to her. The 2 sent each different videos of themselves engaged successful intersexual acts, according to tribunal documents.

In 1 connection sent to nan girl, Pierson allegedly wrote, “I conscionable want you to beryllium safe. If they recovered retired we are still talking, nan cops will astir apt travel aft me.”

He sent her different connection later that said, “I don’t attraction what happens, I don’t attraction if I spell to jail.”

An apprehension warrant was issued successful December, and Pierson was booked into nan Madison County Jail pinch a $25,000 bond.