Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced that Austin Reed Mickelsen, 31, was convicted of one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material (Child Pornography) and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Distribution of Sexually Exploitative Material. Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Distribution of Sexually Exploitative Material is a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Mickelsen was sentenced on October 28, 2026, by Clark County District Judge Brendan Taylor.
In December 2025, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received multiple Cyber Tips that online accounts belonging to Mickelsen contained multiple files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). After getting a search warrant for the accounts, numerous CSAM files were found along with indicators that Mickelsen owned the account. A search warrant was executed on Mickelsen’s residence in February of 2026, where Mickelsen admitted to ownership of the accounts. Mickelsen admitted that he would exchange CSAM files with others in various group chats. The files found in Mickelsen’s case depicted both male and female children who were approximately 6 to 14 years of age being sexually abused by adults.
Judge Taylor sentenced Mickelsen to prison for a total of 20 years. Mickelsen will be eligible for parole after serving 5 years. Upon release, Mickelsen will have to register as a sex offender pursuant to Idaho law.
This case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Madison Gourley. The case was investigated by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Pocatello Police Department, Idaho State Police, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security