BOISE – Jonathan Schmidt, 40, of Boise, was arrested yesterday for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  Schmidt is charged by federal complaint. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court today at 2:45 PM before U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale.

The complaint alleges that between January 29 and August 21, 2019, Schmidt knowingly possessed files of child pornography.

The charge of possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and 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.  As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.”

A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of 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.

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