COEUR d’ALENE — A Coeur d’Alene man who allegedly admitted to sharing child sexual abuse material in group chats is facing felony charges. 

Brendan M. Shea, 27, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child by distribution of sexually exploitative material and five counts of sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material.

Shea was arrested last Wednesday on a $100,000 warrant and appeared in court Monday through a video feed from jail. His bail remains set at $100,000. 

The charges stem from October 2024, when police received tips about possible child sexual abuse material shared on the instant messaging app Kik. Police reviewed the content submitted with the tips, including several files “that are sexually exploitive in nature” and one file that appeared to be child sexual abuse material. 

In August of this year, investigators obtained a search warrant for the Kik accounts associated with the tips, according to court records, and then obtained a search warrant for Shea’s residence in Coeur d’Alene. Police seized a cellphone belonging to Shea that contained 10 photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse. The children recorded in the material appeared to be between 5 and 12 years old. 

When interviewed by police, Shea allegedly said the Kik accounts police had investigated belonged to him. He told police that he had participated for several years in group chats on Kik and the messaging app Telegram, where users shared child sexual abuse material, according to court records. 

“He admitted to sharing the images by forwarding them,” a police report said. 

In Idaho, sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Distribution of sexually exploitative material carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.