BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced the completion of Operation Unhinged, a statewide initiative led by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in April 2025. The operation resulted in 12 arrests for internet crimes against children, doubling the 6 arrests made last April. Additional arrests may follow pending forensic reviews of seized devices.

Operation Unhinged involved the execution of 17 residential search warrants. Three cases were accepted for federal prosecution and the rest will be prosecuted 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.”

The following individuals were arrested during Operation Unhinged: 

  • Joseph Bingham, 25, Ada County 
  • Alexander Buttle, 30, Ada County
  • William Strength, 43, Bannock County 
  • Zachary Gilbert, 39, Bannock County 
  • Connor Robinson, 28, Bonneville County
  • Luke Hughes, 38, Bonneville County
  • Alfred Brown, 61, Canyon County  
  • Hector Martinez- Cabrerra, 34, Jerome County
  • Adam Tyler,34, Kootenai County
  • Shandon Singer, 33, Kootenai County  
  • Dustin Angele, 21, Kootenai County 
  • Jake Baptista, 25, Madison County

“We’re seeing incredible results with the number of arrests we are making across the state,” stated Nicholas Edwards, Chief Investigator in the Attorney General’s Office. “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.”

Operation Unhinged resulted in a spike in public presentations and education. The Task Force conducted 53 community outreach events with approximately 1,390 attendees. The Task Force also had an opportunity to showcase its newest weapon in the fight against online sexual exploitation: Badger the ESD 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,” stated 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 the mental wellness of our officers and other staff who have to view terrible images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.”

Badger attended 7 public presentations and helped investigators find electronic storage devices on 8 search warrants during April’s Operation Unhinged. 

The Task Force also trained 106 law enforcement professionals in April and will continue to direct substantial resources to training law enforcement throughout the state.

Operation Unhinged was Idaho’s contribution to the national Operation Safe Online Summer, a joint effort of all 61 ICAC Task Forces throughout the country to arrest those engaged in the online sexual exploitation of children.

The operation was supported by a coalition of agencies, including the Idaho State Police, Boise Police Department, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Idaho Falls Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Post Falls Police Department, Pocatello Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Chubbuck Police Department, Rexburg Police Department, Bonners Ferry Police Department, Moscow Police Department, Fruitland Police Department, Spirit Lake Police Department, Homedale Police Department, Twin Falls Police Department, Sun Valley Police Department, Jerome Police Department, Wilder Police Department, Middleton Police Department, Rupert Police Department, Heyburn Police Department, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, Benewah County Sheriff’s Office, Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office, Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, Idaho Probation and Parole, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Idaho ICAC Task Force urges the public to report suspected online exploitation to local law enforcement, the ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com. For more information or to access resources, visit ICACIdaho.org.

To learn more about ESD K9 Badger or to request a demonstration, visit the Idaho ICAC Task Force’s website: https://www.icacidaho.org/esd-k9-badger/. 

About the Idaho ICAC Task Force: The Idaho ICAC Task Force, led by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, is a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies dedicated to investigating and prosecuting internet crimes against children while promoting community education to prevent exploitation.

The charges listed above are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.