Registered sex offender faces child porn charges

A Boise man –- a registered sex offender -– is now facing four felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child after police say he accessed “multiple illicit images” on a work computer.

On August 17th of last year, Boise Police officers were made aware of “possible access to illegal electronic images online” at a Boise business, according to a Boise Police Department e-mail. Police did not identify the business; only saying it is located in the Boise “bench” neighborhood. 

Detectives found evidence an employee of the business -- later identified as Charles Firmage, 73 -- had viewed multiple illicit images involving children under the age of sixteen, the e-mail said.

“Part of the investigation included analyzing forensic evidence, which can take time in an investigation such as this,” the release stated, explaining why Firmage was arrested some six months after the images were discovered.  

Detectives do not believe any of the victims found on the illegal images were local children.  

Firmage was arrested at his home Wednesday without incident.