Bingham County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

[BOISE] - Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced that Devin Thomas Balmer, 26, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material (Child Pornography), a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Balmer was sentenced on September 16, 2024, by Bingham County District Judge Darren Simpson.

"I'm grateful for the hard work of our ICAC investigators and prosecutor, and their affiliated partners at the Pocatello Police Department," said Attorney General Labrador. "Keeping our communities safe from these predators is a top priority for all of us. It's encouraging to see our courts delivering maximum sentences on these child pornography cases as well."

In August 2023, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received a CyberTip indicating that files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were in an online account belonging to Balmer. After obtaining search warrants, officers searched Balmer's home and devices and located hundreds of files containing CSAM, including media depicting the sexual abuse of minor females ranging from approximately 10 to 14 years old.

Judge Simpson sentenced Balmer to a total of 10 years in prison with 4 years fixed and 6 years indeterminate. Balmer was ordered to pay reimbursement to Bingham County for evaluations and his representation and to pay court costs and fees. Upon release, Balmer will have to register as a sex offender pursuant to Idaho law.

The investigation was led by Detective Irina Leach of the Pocatello Police Department, who serves in the Attorney General's ICAC Unit. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Madison Allen.