Former UI official charged with additional child pornography counts

Ada County prosecutors have added 11 additional child pornography charges against a Boise man with deep ties to state politics and the University of Idaho.

In early October, Martin “Marty” Peterson, 76, was charged with three felony counts of accessing/viewing sexually explicit images of minors. Prosecutors amended that number in mid-December from three to 14.

The Idaho Statesman reported some of the images allegedly accessed by Peterson involve children 3 years old and younger.

Peterson has been a figure in Idaho politics for nearly 50 years. He served on U.S. Sen. Frank Church’s staff and was budget director for former Idaho Govs. John Evans and Cecil Andrus. Peterson also was executive director of the Association of Idaho Cities. Until recently, he sat on the Statesman’s editorial board and has authored or co-authored several articles and books.

Originally from Lewiston, Peterson graduated from UI and has occupied numerous positions with the school, including serving as assistant to seven university presidents in a 21-year period, according to a biography on UI’s website. He has served on the boards for the UI alumni association, Friends of Idaho Public Television and the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy. He also sat on the advisory board for the UI’s School of Journalism and Mass Media.

Peterson was a recipient of UI’s Silver and Gold Award in 2018 which “recognizes living alumni who have a distinguished record of achievement and service in (their) specialized area of endeavor, thus bringing honor and recognition to the university.”

A preliminary hearing for the amended complaint is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Jan. 21.