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Man arrested again in alleged child porn case

KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 7 months AGO
by KAYE THORNBRUGH
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | February 3, 2021 1:00 AM

Police arrested a Spokane man for the second time for alleged possession of child porn.

Chadlen D. Smith, 36, is charged with sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitive material, a felony, and with distribution/exhibition of obscene material, a misdemeanor.

Smith was arrested last month for allegedly stalking a Post Falls Police Department employee.

He was charged with second degree stalking, a misdemeanor, after police found him in the employee’s neighborhood around 5 a.m.

He was later arrested again and charged with violating a protection order, a misdemeanor.

Electronics in Smith’s possession at the time of his arrest were seized as possible evidence in the stalking case, according to court documents.

Forensic examination of the devices allegedly yielded multiple images of nude infants and toddlers.

Post Falls Police detectives arrested Smith on Jan. 11 for suspicion of sexual exploitation of a minor.

He was reportedly released from jail the following day, as charges had not yet been filed. Prosecutors had opted to delay filing charges pending further investigation, according to court documents.

A warrant for Smith’s arrest was issued Jan. 22. He was taken into custody by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office on Friday.

Judge James Stow ordered Monday that Smith be held on $50,000 bail.

Smith has a prior felony conviction of injury to a child stemming from a 2009 lewd conduct with a minor case.

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