POCATELLO — A 52-year-old local man was arrested Saturday after police say he repeatedly solicited a 15-year-old girl for sexual acts over several months and was later found in possession of child sexual abuse material.
Wayne Edward Lish, of Pocatello, has been charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a child by solicitation, two counts of sexual battery of a minor child by solicitation, one count of sexual abuse of a child and five counts of possession of sexually exploitative material, all felonies, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.
The 11 felony charges filed last week follow a nearly 12-month Pocatello police investigation launched in October 2025 when police were contacted by one of the girl's adult relatives reporting a potential inappropriate relationship between Lish and the girl, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in 6th District Court last week.
Officers conducted a traffic stop on Lish's vehicle last fall and discovered two teenage girls inside, including the victim named in this case, according to the affidavit.
During a subsequent interview, the girl told police Lish had previously touched her inappropriately, court records show.
Detectives obtained search warrants for Lish's phone, Facebook account and Snapchat data, and a forensic review of his Facebook Messenger records showed he exchanged sexually explicit messages with the girl in August 2025 referencing her body, the affidavit states.
Court records show the charges reflect an escalating timeline.
Three of the felony counts allege Lish solicited the girl for sexual acts between July and September 2025, when she was 15, while two additional counts allege he continued soliciting her for sexual acts in September and October 2025, after she turned 16. A sixth count alleges that sometime between January and August 2025, Lish exposed himself to the girl.
A forensic examination of Lish's phone turned up 379 tagged images, 128 of which included nudity or sexual acts involving people who appeared to be minors, according to the affidavit. Among those, detectives identified five images they determined to be child sexual abuse material, including photos depicting children as young as toddler age, which formed the basis of the exploitation charges, court records show.
Lish was arrested at a home on McKinley Avenue around 1 p.m. Saturday on four felony warrants in connection with the case and booked into the Bannock County Jail.
He appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge David A. Hooste for an arraignment hearing via video conference from the Bannock County Jail Monday, where his bond was set at $50,000.
He is scheduled to appear in court again Sept. 23 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.
If convicted, each of the three sexual abuse of a child and sexual battery charges Lish faces carries a maximum penalty of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Each of the five exploitation charges he faces is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.