Ex-City Council candidate remains jailed on child porn charges; AG Labrador highlights ICAC success

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A former Idaho Falls City Council candidate, Christopher Brunt, remains in custody on a $1 million bond following his arrest by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force last month. The arrest was part of a larger multi-agency sweep in April that Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador is highlighting as a major success in the ICAC Task Force's partnerships with local law.

Brunt was apprehended on April 8 by the ICAC unit in partnership with the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office, the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Madison County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Pocatello Police Department, and Chubbuck Police Department.

The investigation began with a "CyberTip" from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) after Google flagged several files of disturbing content. According to court documents, the flagged material was uploaded between 2022 and 2025 from an account tied to a verified email address and a registered phone number belonging to Brunt.

RELATED: Ex-city council candidate charged with 12 counts of child exploitative material

Thursday, May 7th, Attorney General Raúl Labrador listed Brunt’s arrest as one of four significant ICAC cases handled across several counties in April:

Andrew Avelar (Canyon County)

Avelar, 29, was arrested on April 6, 2026, on two counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. The ICAC Unit was assisted by the Nampa Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff's Office, Boise Police Department, and Meridian Police Department.

Daniel Loretto (Canyon County)

Loretto was arrested on April 14, 2026, on three counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. The ICAC Unit was assisted by the Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Canyon County Sheriff's Office, and Boise Police Department.

Michael Arnold Jr. (Latah County)

Arnold, 43, was arrested on April 28, 2026, on six counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material and one count of enticing a child through use of the internet. The ICAC Unit was assisted by Moscow Police Department and Probation and Parole District 2.

Labrador emphasized that these partnerships safeguard Idaho families.

"I'm grateful for the partnerships we've built with local law enforcement that make this work possible," said Attorney General Labrador. "These arrests reflect the dedication of our team and the agencies working together to keep Idaho families safe.”

The charges listed above are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.