COEUR D’ALENE, ID – A Coeur d’Alene man has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Gary Tym Fugate, 70, was convicted of sexual exploitation of children by possession of sexually exploitative material, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities began investigating Fugate in May 2025 after receiving a Cybertip indicating he was accessing child pornography. After obtaining a search warrant, officers searched Fugate’s computer and located evidence showing he had possessed numerous images depicting child pornography.
Fugate was sentenced Feb. 17, 2026, by District Judge Regina McCrea. At the sentencing hearing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison recommended a 10-year unified prison sentence with parole eligibility after three years. Judge McCrea imposed a 10-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after three years.
Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanked Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Molly Nivison and Shannon Jackson for prosecuting the case, as well as the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their investigation.
In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said it will continue to prosecute cases involving the exploitation of children to help protect victims and seek justice for children and their families.
