Bode pleads guilty to possessing child pornography at Law Day

WALLACE — In Wednesday’s Law Day at the Wallace Courthouse, Judge Scott Wayman addressed the criminal cases of close to 30 individuals. The types of cases ranged from violent, property and/or drug-related crimes.

Coming before the court at the very beginning of the day was the case of Marshall Bode, 27, who admitted to three felony counts of willfully possessing or accessing by any means sexually exploitative material of a child.

The initial six charges against Bode stem from his arrest in late 2018 for having multiple photos on his phone of minors (ranging from 2 to 12 years of age) in sexually provocative situations and positions on June 6, 2018.

In an apparent plea deal with the prosecution, Bode pleaded guilty to three of the six counts on Wednesday. Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney Keisha Oxendine explained that the other three charges will be dismissed at the time of his sentencing on May 8.

At that sentencing, Oxendine plans to push for a 10-year prison sentence to be imposed with no probation and no retained jurisdiction for the remaining three charges.

ICourt records show that Bode has no major prior convictions in the state of Idaho.

Also coming before Judge Wayman on Wednesday was the arraignment of David Bell, 67, of Avery. Bell pled not guilty to a myriad of wildlife-related charges including one felony and five misdemeanors.

Bell and his son, Francis “Frank” Bell, were taken into custody on Oct. 21, 2017, upon the completion of a nearly three-weeklong operation in which two undercover Idaho Department of Fish and Game operatives posed as poachers and passively participated in an unlawful guided hunt in and around Avery.

In an affidavit requesting arrest warrants, submitted by IDFG Senior Conservation Officer, David Overman, the case against Francis Bell and David Bell began on Oct. 3 when the Special Investigations Unit contacted Francis Bell through email and phone to book a elk hunt for two individuals.

IDFG initially began the investigation after receiving reports that Francis Bell was working as a guide without a license.

For a total of $3,000 ($1,500 per person), Francis Bell agreed to take them.

The alleged deal between the two parties was that he would provide “a hunting location, a cabin, a base camp, a remote back country camp, a wall tent, sleeping tents, food, a camp cook and wood cutter, the use of stock to transport gear, and detailed locations of animals” to the operatives.

David Bell, who served as the camp cook and provider of transportation, also received $1,800 of the $3,000 for the use of his home in Avery.

After posting bail following their first arraignment in November 2017, both the Bells failed to appear for future court appearances and as a result, a bench warrant was issued. David Bell was recently apprehended, while Francis Bell remains at large.

With a not guilty plea entered, a jury trial will be set for David Bell’s case at a future date.