University of Idaho student facing child porn charges may have left country

A 23-year-old Moscow man who is facing 11 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child may have left the country, according to his attorneys.

Yousef Alqallaf, a University of Idaho student from Kuwait, did not appear in Latah County Second Judicial District Court for his scheduled status conference Monday morning.

“Mr. Alqallaf may no longer be in the country,” said Jennifer Wirsching, one of Alqallaf’s attorneys.

Wirsching, an attorney in Burbank, California, spoke over the phone during Alqallaf’s scheduled court session Monday.

Alqallaf did not appear in court for his status conference Thursday either.

Because of his failure to appear Monday, Latah County Magistrate Judge John Judge issued a bench warrant for Alqallaf’s arrest in the amount of $100,000.

Judge said the court has Alqallaf’s passport.

Jay Johnson, a Moscow attorney who is also representing Alqallaf, said he received communication from Alqallaf on Saturday that led him to believe he is “gone.”

Johnson said Alqallaf did not elaborate on whether or not he is coming back to the area.

“I would be surprised if he would come back,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Alqallaf told him he was going home, which to Johnson meant he was going back to Kuwait for a family emergency.

Alqallaf is alleged to have possessed and/or accessed child pornography, according to court documents.

Moscow police officer Eric Kjorness said in a court affidavit that after examining the contents of a cellphone and laptop seized from Alqallaf’s apartment, he thinks Alqallaf knowingly possessed child pornography containing identified child victims.