Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced the conclusion of Operation Unhinged, a statewide effort led by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in April 2025. This initiative resulted in 12 arrests related to internet crimes against children, doubling last year's figures. Further arrests may occur as forensic reviews of seized devices continue.
Operation Unhinged included 17 residential search warrants, with three cases moving to federal prosecution and the remainder being handled in state court.
“Because of the structural changes we’ve made within the Attorney General’s Office—along with the dedication of our investigators and strong partnerships with law enforcement across the state—the ICAC Task Force is achieving results like never before,” stated Attorney General Labrador. “We are identifying more offenders, rescuing more victims, and sending a clear message: anyone who targets children in Idaho online will be found, and our office will use every tool available to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Nicholas Edwards, Chief Investigator in the Attorney General’s Office, commented on the success of their efforts: “We’re seeing incredible results with the number of arrests we are making across the state. We are going to keep arresting those who commit these crimes, but we also need to focus on outreach, training, and education to protect Idaho’s children.”
The operation also led to an increase in public presentations and educational initiatives. The Task Force conducted 53 community outreach events attended by approximately 1,390 people. A new asset was introduced during these efforts: Badger, an Electronic Storage Detection K9.
“It’s a privilege to serve as the first K9 officer in the Attorney General’s Office, and Badger has already proven himself an incredible asset to the Task Force,” said Investigator Lauren Lane. “Badger is a triple threat: he helps us find electronic devices on search warrants; the public—especially kids—love seeing him at our presentations; and he supports mental wellness for our officers and other staff who have to view terrible images and videos depicting sexual abuse of children.”
During April's Operation Unhinged, Badger participated in seven public presentations and assisted investigators by locating electronic storage devices during eight search warrants.
In addition to these efforts, 106 law enforcement professionals received training from ICAC during April. The Task Force remains committed to continuing its training programs throughout Idaho.
Operation Unhinged was part of Operation Safe Online Summer—a national initiative involving all 61 ICAC Task Forces aimed at combatting online child exploitation.
The operation had support from various agencies including local police departments across Idaho such as Boise Police Department and Coeur d’Alene Police Department among others; several county sheriff's offices; federal agencies like FBI; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office; Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office; Idaho Probation & Parole services were also involved.
The Idaho ICAC Task Force encourages reporting suspected online exploitation through local law enforcement or via their hotline at 208-947-8700 or through www.cybertipline.com provided by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
For further details about ESD K9 Badger or demonstration requests visit https://www.icacidaho.org/esd-k9-badger/.
About Idaho ICAC Task Force: Led by Idaho Attorney General's Office this coalition includes federal/state/local agencies focused on investigating/prosecuting internet crimes against children while promoting preventive community education.
Charges mentioned above remain allegations until proven otherwise under due legal process.