‘Disgusted’ by his actions, Star man to spend decades in prison for child porn
An Idaho man will spend the next few decades of his life in prison after an investigation into sexual abuse allegations ended with deputies finding “numerous images” of child pornography on his cellphone, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
Ryan Patania, 35, was sentenced to at least 30 years last month after he pleaded guilty to four felony counts of possession of sexually exploitive material, court records showed. Patania, of Star, could spend up to 40 years in prison, and he won’t be eligible for parole until he’s in his 60s.
He’ll have to register as a sex offender and will receive credit for the time he spent in jail before his sentencing on each of the felony charges. That means almost four years will be knocked off his sentence.
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Patania in December 2024 for sexual comments and touching a teenager “in a sexual manner,” according to a news release from the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. He was charged with five felonies, including sexual battery of a minor, court records showed.
When deputies arrested Patania and searched his phone, they found images of child pornography along with text messages where he discussed his interest in child porn, often joking about it, the release said.
Patania was “closely involved” with numerous Treasure Valley churches, and volunteered to work with youths in those churches, the Sheriff’s Office said. He also worked with foster children in the community.
“This case represents the darkest kind of predatory behavior that abuses children — where trust is violated, innocence is exploited, and harm is hidden behind a screen,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts in the news release. “Our office remains committed to standing up for the most vulnerable among us and ensuring that those who prey on children are held fully accountable.”
Patania was later charged with 18 other felonies, most of which were for possession of child pornography, but he also faced several charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of two other minors.
As part of a plea deal with the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, 19 of 23 felony charges were dropped. He will be prevented from having any contact with the three minors for the next 40 years.
While the charges involving those minors were dismissed, 4th District Judge Jason Scott, who presided over the case, said the number of people who accused Patania of varying degrees of sexual abuse were hard to discount.
Despite a dispute among the prosecution and defense attorneys over the extent of Patania’s crimes, Scott said at sentencing that the possession of child pornography, which Patania did confess to, isn’t a victimless crime. He was concerned about the risk Patania posed to children, Scott said.
“Most of us, of course, will go through our lives without anyone accusing us of sexually abusing a child,” he said. “When someone has a number of accusers in different settings — the adage where there’s smoke, there’s fire comes to mind.”
Patania appealed his sentence to the Idaho Supreme Court, court records showed. He apologized at his sentencing hearing for taking on jobs and volunteer work that put him around minors, adding that he was in this position because of his own choices and actions.
He also apologized to the victims, his family, and friends and the community for his crimes. He was “disgusted” by his actions, he added.
“I have fallen short beyond measure and humbly beg for the forgiveness of everyone in the room for causing all of this,” Patania said in court.
