Idaho Falls man arrested for child pornography

Idaho Falls Police arrested Merle L. Parsons, 47, for possession of child pornography Wednesday night.

Parsons is a registered sex offender.

According to reports, a woman saw an unidentified man at the Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store at 255 N. Woodruff attempting to take pictures with his cell phone. The woman said he was holding the phone under the girls’ skirts. The girls were around 8 years old.

The man left the store before police arrived, but officers obtained pictures of the suspect and identified him as Parsons.

Parsons was located Wednesday night at a residence near U.S. Highway 20 and Hitt Road. He was found in possession of numerous images of child pornography on his cell phone.

Although living at that residence, Parsons had not registered his change of address. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office arrested Parsons for failing to register a change of address.