Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced the arrest of two men in Canyon County, Idaho, as part of an operation targeting online child exploitation. Jesse Elam, 42, and Garrett Vinni, 37, were apprehended on February 26 and 27 respectively. Both face charges of enticing a child through the internet or other communication devices.
The arrests resulted from a coordinated undercover operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The operation aimed to identify offenders using text messages, social media, and chat platforms to arrange meetings for sexual activity with minors. Both suspects are currently held at the Canyon County Jail.
“I’m grateful to each one of our participating agencies and partners in this ongoing effort to keep kids safe from exploitation,” said Attorney General Labrador. “The ICAC Task Force and our growing statewide network have a singular focus – to remove threats to children from our streets. We will not stop this pursuit.”
The operation was a collaborative effort involving officers, attorneys, and support personnel from various agencies across Idaho. Participating organizations included the Idaho Office of the Attorney General, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, United States Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), among others.
“This case is a testament to the power of law enforcement agencies working in unison to take down criminals,” said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “Thanks to the relentless efforts of those involved, child predators have been removed from our streets, making Canyon County a safer place. We will not stop pursuing justice."
The Idaho Office of the Attorney General expressed gratitude to all participants and specifically acknowledged the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office for hosting the operation.
Anyone with information about child exploitation is urged to contact local police or reach out to the Idaho Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
More information about the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force can be found at icactaskforce.org or ICACIdaho.org.
It should be noted that these charges are accusations and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.