While in prison, a federal inmate used multiple cellular phones to sexually exploit a child in Idaho

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (DOJ PRESS RELEASE) – A federal grand jury in Coeur d’Alene returned an indictment today charging Hamza Luay Nijmeh, 39, a federal inmate housed in Forrest City, Arkansas, with Sexual Exploitation of a Child, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.

According to court records, Nijmeh was convicted of Distribution of Child Pornography and Receipt of Child Pornography in May 2017.  It is alleged in the indictment that between August 2023 and October 2023, while in federal prison in Arkansas, Nijmeh used multiple cellular phones to sexually exploit a child in the District of Idaho.   

If convicted, Nijmeh faces a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child.  He faces an additional 10 years of consecutive imprisonment for commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hurwit made the announcement and commended the work of the Moscow Police Department, the Lewiston Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges.  The public is encouraged to contact the FBI at 208-746-3440 with any information about this case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.