Local Detectives honored by the Idaho Attorney General for their work keeping kids safe from internet predators
Linda Larsen
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Two dedicated law enforcement officers from the Idaho Falls area received awards from the Idaho Attorney General for their work protecting children from online exploitation. Detective Jared Mendenhall of the Idaho Falls Police Department and Detective Korey Payne of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office were honored for their outstanding work with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (ICAC)
During the ceremony, Attorney General Raúl Labrador spoke about the collaborative and tireless efforts of the two detectives and how their work is saving children from abuse and exploitation.
Mendenhall and Payne have solved over 100 cases, leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of online predators.
“It’s not an easy job to do, for sure. But, I think having the support of everybody and having a dog with us, and having the backing of our agency, really does help our mental health aspect of it, because that’s a huge portion and it’s been really helpful. It’s honestly the best job I ever had,” Payne said.
While representing different departments–IFPD and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office–their joint commitment to the ICAC mission has led to a significant number of arrests and the protection of vulnerable youth across the state, nation, and even globally.
“I have to thank the Idaho Falls Police Department and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, like my desk where I sit, where I work, where the environment that that these agencies have put me in. If I have an ICAC question, all I have to do is spin around,” Mendenhall said.
The awards serve as recognition for their profound impact in making the internet a safer place for our children.
“You can see their commitment to this cause I think they feel like this is their mission. And I think when when you have a good person who feels inspired that there’s their mission in life, that they’re saving children, they’re saving society, they’re protecting our community. You see it in the work that they do actions, and you can hear it in the words and their enthusiasm for it,” Labrador said.