Idaho Falls Man Charged With Possessing Child Pornography

POCATELLO – Daniel Joseph Dalton, 37, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Pocatello for possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. An initial appearance has not been set.

The indictment alleges that on or about March 14, 2011, Dalton unlawfully and knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, on a desktop computer and two hard drives. The government is seeking forfeiture of the computer equipment used in the offense.

The charge of possessing sexually explicit images of minors is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and at least five years of supervised release.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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.”