Post Falls man charged with 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 sexual 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 Dropbox and Google accounts belonging to Berg contained child sexual abuse material. Police obtained warrants to search the contents of the accounts. 

Berg’s Dropbox account contained approximately 750 files depicting suspected child sexual abuse, according to court records, while his Google account contained about 20 such files. Court records indicate the files included 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 warrants Monday and arrested Berg at his residence. 

A computer seized by police contained more than 200 files depicting 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 inadvertently downloaded the illegal files while trying to pirate a movie, according to court records. After that, Berg allegedly said, he began seeking out and downloading child sexual abuse material on purpose. 

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

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