Post Falls man accused of child sexual exploitation

COEUR d’ALENE – A Post Falls man is in jail after police said they caught him with hundreds of files depicting child sex abuse.

Bryce A. Berg, 31, faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material, as well as a single count of attempted video voyeurism by use of a device.

Local authorities began investigating Berg in June after receiving reports that Berg’s Dropbox and Google accounts contained child sexual abuse material. Police have been ordered to search the contents of the accounts.

According to court records, Berg’s Dropbox account contained approximately 750 files containing images of suspected child sexual abuse, while his Google account contained approximately 20 such files. Court records show the files contained videos of prepubescent children being sexually abused by adults.

Police obtained a warrant in October to search Berg’s renovated school bus, as well as a pickup truck owned by Berg. Police executed the arrest warrants on Monday and arrested Berg at his home.

A computer seized by police contained more than 200 files containing images of child sexual abuse, while an SD card recovered from the bus contained more than 400 such files, according to court records.

When questioned by police, Berg said he accidentally downloaded the illegal files while trying to pirate a movie, court records show. Then, Berg allegedly said, he began deliberately seeking out and downloading child sexual abuse material.

Berg also allegedly told police that he had purchased a Bluetooth speaker with a built-in hidden camera, which he placed in the bathroom of his bus to film women without their knowledge.

First District Judge Keith Walker on Tuesday ordered Berg held on $110,000 bail. Walker also ordered that Berg have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.