Nampa Predator Morales Admits to Years of Child Sex Abuse

BOISE, ID – Fifty-year-old Fernando Morales of Nampa has confessed to a sickening pattern of sexual abuse against a minor, pleading guilty today in U.S. District Court. The case, brought forward by U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson, reveals a years-long exploitation that spanned two states and left a trail of digital evidence.

The nightmare began to unravel on August 23, 2016, when a sixteen-year-old victim residing with Morales in Nampa dialed 911. According to the plea agreement, the minor bravely revealed years of sexual contact by Morales, who also possessed disturbing nude images on his cell phone. Detectives with the Nampa Police Department quickly determined the abuse wasn’t confined to Idaho; it started around June 2015 in El Paso, Texas. Morales, along with the victim and other children, relocated to Nampa in July 2016, continuing the abuse.

Morales didn’t just stop at live abuse. He meticulously documented his crimes, recording videos and taking pictures of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the victim. These images and videos were chillingly stored on his cell phone, a digital archive of his depravity. A forensic examination by a Department of Homeland Security agent uncovered twenty-three videos and twenty-one still images, all depicting the exploitation. Nineteen of the videos and all of the images directly showed Morales abusing the victim, with evidence placing some of the content originating in Texas before being brought to Idaho.

A search of Morales’ electronic devices by Nampa Police yielded the damning evidence. The seized cell phones and laptop will now be forfeited as part of his plea agreement. This wasn’t a spontaneous act; it was a calculated, sustained abuse of power and trust. The details are horrific, and the impact on the victim will undoubtedly be lifelong.

Morales now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years behind bars, with a potential sentence of up to 30 years imprisonment. He also risks a $250,000 fine, five years to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $5,000 special assessment. Sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. This case is a stark reminder of the predators who hide in plain sight, and the importance of vigilance and reporting.

This investigation was a collaborative effort between the Nampa Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, with support from the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Internet safety resources can also be found at the same site.