According to an affidavit filed in Nez Perce County District Court, Conrad J. Hughes was arrested on Thursday, June 26, after investigators linked several explicit files and online activities to his residence and electronic devices. Hughes faces one count of sexual abuse of a child under the age of sixteen and five counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
The case began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report from the messaging platform Kik on April 23, 2025, regarding the upload and potential distribution of illegal content. The report was traced to an account with a profile name and associated email address later tied to Hughes. Investigators identified IP addresses associated with the activity and subpoenaed records from several service providers, ultimately tracing the traffic to Hughes’ apartment on 10th Avenue in Lewiston.
Law enforcement served a search warrant on the residence and seized a Motorola Razr phone belonging to Hughes. Forensic review of the device revealed numerous images and videos. According to court documents, most of the videos involved girls, estimated by detectives to be as young as 8-years-old, engaged in sexual acts. The files allegedly included content downloaded as recently as April 2025.
During an interview with detectives, Hughes allegedly admitted to long-term involvement with illegal online activity and stated he had accessed and stored material involving minors over a span of several years. He acknowledged using multiple email accounts and VPN services to conceal his identity while accessing the Kik platform and other services.
The affidavit further details that Hughes engaged in sexually explicit conversations on Kik with individuals he believed to be underage, including one user who self-identified as a 14-year-old.
Hughes told investigators that he was remorseful and claimed to have struggled with his behavior, attempting to stop on several occasions before ultimately returning to the material. He also admitted to deleting some files but retained many on his phone up until the date of the search.
The affidavit indicates that Hughes has expressed a willingness to cooperate further, including assisting investigators in identifying other individuals who may have been involved or exploited.
Hughes appeared in court on Friday, bond was set at $750,000. As of Monday morning, he remained in custody at the Nez Perce County Jail.
