ST. GEORGE — A Utah man who is considered a deserter by the Marine Corps is facing felony charges after investigators say they found "hundreds of files" of child pornography on his computer.
Richard Anthony Vidal, 24, made his first appearance Monday in 5th District Court, where he is charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all second-degree felonies.
The charges were filed several months after Washington County sheriff's detectives — acting on information from the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — executed a search warrant at a St. George home. A number of electronic devices were seized from the home, including a laptop computer.
A forensic search of the laptop uncovered "hundreds of files, images and some videos" that showed prepubescent children being raped and sexually abused, according to charging documents.
Investigators also found evidence that someone had tried to share the child pornography found on the computer with other people, the charges state.
"Once these files were identified as child pornography, we were able to determine that Richard Vidal was the owner of the laptop and in possession of these pornographic materials," an investigator wrote in a probable cause statement filed with the court.
Detectives said they had difficulty tracking Vidal down for an interview because he was "sent back to the Marine Corps" and left the country to visit his father in Colombia.
Vidal ultimately turned himself in to police on July 27. He invoked his right not to speak with detectives and was booked into jail.
A Marine Corps spokesman Tuesday confirmed that Vidal is a private first class who graduated from boot camp in May. He was scheduled for additional training but never reported and, after 30 days, was categorized as a deserter, the spokesman said.
Vidal's next court appearance in the child pornography case is set for Aug. 31. His attorney declined to comment on the case.
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