For Immediate Release 

Date: February 19, 2021 

Contact: Jon Paxton 

Phone: 928-226 -5089 

SUBJECT: 

Flagstaff Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Flagstaff AZ: 

On February 18, 2021 Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Detectives arrested a Flagstaff man after an investigation into possession of child pornography.                                                                         Sheriff’s Office Detectives received information that 71-year-old Richard Budge was possibly in possession of child pornography on a personal computer at his residence.                                                       During the investigation Budge reported viewing child pornography on the computer in his home and advised there were images stored on the computer that some might identify                                          as child pornography. A search warrant was served on the residence of Budge. During the service of the search warrant, a computer was located inside the residence                                                 displaying multiple images consistent with child pornography. Budge was later interviewed by Sheriff’s Office Detectives and made statements implicating himself in numerous                                       counts of possessing child pornography. Budge was later booked into the Coconino County Jail on eight counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. This case remains under                                                       investigation by Detectives. 

# # #