COEUR D’ALENE – Joshua Jay Downer, 39, of Moscow, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the distribution of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit on Tuesday.
According to court records, in early 2024, law enforcement received Cybertips from an email provider indicating that someone using their service was distributing child sexual abuse material from multiple linked email addresses.
Investigators traced these addresses to Downer’s home in Moscow.
Downer, a registered sex offender already on federal supervision for a previous conviction related to child sexual abuse material, was found to have a tablet, which he was prohibited from having.
A forensic examination of the tablet revealed numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material and evidence showing that Downer had been using the device to distribute the material to others.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Downer to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Downer was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution to four victims depicted in the images and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
