BOISE, Idaho — A Boise man is behind bars after police say he possessed child pornography, the Idaho Attorney General announced Thursday.
Martin Lynn Peterson, 76, was booked into the Ada County Jail Thursday afternoon. He was a former budget director for the state, under Gov. John Evans and Gov. Cecil Andrus.
According to his bio on the University of Idaho's website, Peterson spent 57 years in public service, including working on Sen. Frank Church's staff and acting as executive director of the Association of Idaho Cities.
According to Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, the arrest came as the result of an investigation by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children.
A spokesman for the attorney general declined to say whether investigators believe Peterson created the explicit material himself or got it from another source.
Peterson is charged with felony sexual exploitation of a child, and is due to appear in court Friday. If convicted, he could face up to a decade in prison.
