Government: Worker indicted on child porn charges remains employed by county

CALDWELL — Canyon County Commissioners remained steadfast Monday in their reluctance to fully explain why a county employee indicted for possession of child pornography remains on the county payroll.

Information Technology Department employee Marcus Young, the son of county prosecuting attorney David Young, was charged Thursday with nine counts of felony crimes involving sexually explicit pictures of children on computers and destroying evidence. Young, 31, had been under investigation by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office for 13 months. During that time he received more than $75,000 in pay and benefits from the county. He was placed on administrative leave Aug. 22, 2006, when the investigation began.

Young got another paycheck Friday, the day after his indictment.

“On the advice of legal counsel, the commissioners are unable to comment” on the Young case, county spokeswoman Angie Sillonis said in an e-mail Monday.

Local residents have repeatedly voiced concerns about the length of Young’s paid time off and the use of tax dollars to pay someone who’s not at work for such a long period.

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“The chair of the county

commissioners (Matt Beebe) needs to make a statement that tells the public why they took this action and what they will continue to do because the public is paying for an indicted person to stay on the payroll at a very high salary,” Caldwell area resident Teri Ottens said. Ottens worked on a recent unsuccessful effort to recall Dave Young for reasons unrelated to the Marcus Young case.

Ottens said she thinks the commissioners are keeping Young on the payroll because of his relationship to Dave Young.

“They’ve been more careful about what they’re doing with this employee than they would for a regular employee that didn’t have the connections this employee has,” Ottens said.

Sillonis confirmed Monday that Young’s status with Canyon County has not changed since his indictment. He is still “employed” by the county, according to Sillonis. His name, title and photograph remain on the county’s Web site.

Commissioners Beebe, David Ferdinand and Steve Rule released a one-sentence statement last week that read: “We are aware of the indictment against Marcus Young, and we are addressing the situation in the manner provided for in the county’s personnel manual.” Sillonis would give no further details about how the personnel manual directed the commissioners in addressing the situation.

According to the manual, there is no time limit for paid administrative leave. But there is an at-will termination clause that states that an employee can be dismissed at any time “for any or no reason.”

Marcus Young’s arraignment is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5.