Bonneville County man sentenced to 15 years in prison for child sexual exploitation

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced that 27-year-old Elias Daniel Medina has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to:

• One case of sexual exploitation of a child through distribution of sexually exploitative material
• A crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison
• One count of sexual exploitation of a child through possession of sexually exploitative material, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison

Medina was sentenced on September 18, 2024, by Bonneville County District Judge Bruce Pickett.

In October 2023, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received multiple CyberTips indicating that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files were located on Medina’s accounts.

After obtaining search warrants, agents searched Medina’s home and devices and found hundreds of CSAM files. Investigators also discovered that Medina was distributing CSAM files containing images of underage females, approximately three to thirteen years old, to other Internet users. Many of these files depicted the minors engaging in sexual acts with adult males.

Judge Pickett sentenced Medina to 15 years with two years fixed and 13 years indeterminate. Medina was ordered to pay Bonneville County compensation for his representation, court costs and fees. Upon his release, Medina will be required to register as a sex offender under Idaho law.

The investigation was led by Idaho Falls Police Detective Jared Mendenhall, who works in the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit. Assistant Attorney General Madison Allen prosecuted the case.