POST FALLS, ID – A 40-year-old Post Falls man has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of Enticing a Child Through the Internet, a felony charge punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Christopher Daniel Hayes was arrested in January 2025 following an undercover investigation. Authorities said Hayes began communicating in November 2024 with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl from Iowa, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement Facebook profile. Over the course of several weeks, Hayes engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent nude images of himself, and solicited nude images in return.

The investigation culminated when Hayes arranged to meet the girl, whom he believed was visiting Idaho, at a park in Post Falls. When he arrived, he was taken into custody by law enforcement officers.

On September 12, 2025, Senior District Judge John Mitchell sentenced Hayes to 15 years in prison, with parole eligibility after 12 years. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison had recommended parole eligibility after 10 years.

Prosecutors noted Hayes has an extensive criminal history spanning more than two decades, with prior convictions that include assault, battery, drug possession, theft, and assault with sexual motivation, along with numerous probation violations.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen credited Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nivison, Criminal Chief Deputy Laura McClinton, the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa, the Post Falls Police Department, and The Innocent organization for their work on the case.