BOISE - William Bryon Chest, 41, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to transfer and attempted transfer of obscene images to minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2015, before United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
According to the plea agreement, in April and May 2014, Chest sent sexually explicit images accompanied by graphic sexual messages to a 13-year-old girl from Oregon. The girl notified the FBI in Portland and an agent took over her identity and continued to communicate with Chest. According to the plea agreement, Chest made similar online advances and sent obscene images to the undercover agent. Chest was arrested at his home in Boise on Sept. 25, 2014, and remains in custody.
The charge of transfer of obscene images to a minor is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three years supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Portland and Boise, assisted by officers from the Boise Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
