Idaho man accused of bribing young boys faces new charges

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Idaho officials say a man accused of convincing at least 42 boys across various states and countries to send him pornographic videos is facing new charges.

Judah Lyda, 44, of Twin Falls was charged with seven felony counts of possessing and inducing children to engage in sexually exploitative material, the Times-News reported. He was previously charged with 33 felony counts of possession of sexually exploitative material.

Lyda was arrested in February after investigators found child pornography on his Twitter account. Lyda connected with the youths while playing “Counter Strike,” a video game that connects players to each other online, according to investigators.

Lyda told detectives after his arrest that he would also communicate with the boys on Skype and watch them perform sexual acts.

Investigators found evidence that showed Lyda had done this with at least 42 boys, nine who were identified and interviewed. The boys that came forward are from Idaho, California, Oregon, Florida, Canada and England, according to court documents.

The boys told police that Lyda had offered them money and in one case pizza for sexually explicit videos and images of them.

“Lyda would pose as a (17- to 19-year-old) male and befriend the boys and started grooming them by complimenting them, challenging them to friendly battles, donating money to their online gaming profiles, being someone they could talk to, buying them video game upgrades, sending gifts and generally gaining their trust,” Caldwell Police Detective Aron Streibel wrote in his affidavit.

Lyda’s trial is scheduled to begin next month. A preliminary hearing on the new charges is set for June 2.