BEAR LAKE COUNTY — An eastern Idaho man was sentenced up to 30 years in prison Thursday on several counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of lewd conduct.

The sentence comes as Robert William Biggs, 49, pleaded guilty to the nine felony counts of child sexual exploitation and felony lewd conduct charge on Aug. 5. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed an additional 11 felony counts of child sexual exploration and two felony lewd conduct charges. District Judge Mitchell Brown gave Biggs the 14 to 30 year prison sentence while ordering him to pay $6,555.00 in fees and fines.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office arrested Biggs after investigators in Idaho tracked child pornography images obtained in a New York search warrant. The images contained the GPS coordinates of Biggs’ home in Georgetown, a small town in Bear Lake County.

RELATED: Man faces 24 charges after deputies say he produced child pornography, abused children

Police spoke with Biggs’ wife in December and she agreed to turn over all electronic devices in their home. Deputies spoke with Biggs at his shop in Montpelier and he denied ever taking inappropriate pictures of the minors. Deputies sent the devices to Boise for forensic analysis.

When the report and devices were returned to the Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office on March 22, a report indicated over 80 sexually explicit files involving children were found. Some of the images showed an adult man, believed to be Biggs, abusing the girls.

Biggs is required to register as a sex offender once he’s released from prison.

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

COEUR D’ALENE — Sue Ann Larson, 63, of Coeur d’Alene, was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison for wire fraud and for making and subscribing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.

U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered Larson to pay over $1.4 million in restitution to the victims of her crime and to sell her home, a recreational property, and two classic cars, to meet her restitution obligation. Larson will serve three years supervised release following this prison term. Larson pled guilty to both crimes on February 26.

According to court records, Larson, a bookkeeper for a local custom cabinet shop, embezzled over $1.2 million between 2009 and February 2018. During that time, Larson also falsified her tax returns, failing to pay $175,000 in taxes.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

BOISE — To resolve five pending criminal cases, former Idaho Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Parker has proposed a “global settlement” in which he pleads guilty to two counts: stalking his estranged wife and unlawfully entering the home of a female colleague.

Parker’s attorney, Randall Barnum, asked during a court appearance Monday that under the plea agreement, Parker would receive probation, a five-year no-contact order with his soon-to-be ex-wife and the female colleague whose home he entered, and, if so ordered, restitution. Parker also will undergo a psychological evaluation.

If the judge does not accept the plea agreement, Parker faces up to five years in prison and/or up-to a $10,000 fine on the felony stalking charge and up to six months in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine on the misdemeanor unlawful entry charge.

RELATED: Former Idaho GOP chairman faces new unlawful entry charge in addition to stalking, trespass

His sentencing is set for 10:45 a.m. Dec. 9 at the Ada County Courthouse.
Parker’s legal problems began May 30, when Boise police arrested him on a felony stalking charge at his estranged wife’s apartment complex. Since then, he has been charged with misdemeanor privacy trespass, a misdemeanor no-contact order violation, misdemeanor unlawful entry and felony witness intimidation.

The unlawful entry and witness intimidation charge stem from interactions with a female colleague. The other three charges pertain to his estranged wife.

Parker resigned from his GOP post Feb. 18, with more than two years left in his term.

On June 29, the Idaho Republican Party elected former Idaho congressman and candidate for governor Raul Labrador as its new chairman. Labrador defeated former Idaho school superintendent Tom Luna in a 111-109 vote.

RIGBY — A Jefferson County man allegedly used a camera disguised as a phone charger to secretly record a woman and teenage girl using the shower.

Tel James “TJ” Boam, 37, was charged with three felony counts of video voyeurism after Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies learned on Sept. 30 that a woman had discovered videos of a 14-year-old girl in the shower on Boam’s phone. Additionally, the woman stumbled upon a video of herself showering on the phone, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.

The woman told investigators she took screenshots of the videos and sent them to her phone so Boam wouldn’t destroy evidence. She confronted Boam, who allegedly told her the videos were old and he thought he deleted them from his phone. During their conversation, the woman said Boam “tried to convince” her she knew of the videos, according to court documents.

“(The woman) said last winter she found a camera that looks like a charger in the bathroom but did not think anything of it,” according to court documents. “(The woman) said she thinks she threw it in the closet.”

During the course of the investigation, detectives concluded the device, sold on Amazon.com, was likely the camera used to record the two females.

Investigators conducted a forensic interview with the now 15-year-old girl in which she claimed to have no knowledge of being recorded in the shower. She did say Boam does ask other women for nude photos.

A search of timestamps on the videos recovered on the woman’s phone showed the teen girl completely nude on five separate dates between July and August 2018. The video of the woman showering indicated it was recorded in August 2018.

According to court documents, detectives from multiple law enforcement agencies are inspecting several electronic devices owned by Boam to search for child pornography. Court documents do not detail if investigators obtained any pornographic images from the devices.

Police arrested Boam on Wednesday and transported him to the Jefferson County Jail. He made an initial court appearance Thursday and Magistrate Judge Robert Crowley released Boam on his on pre-trial services.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 24.

CORRECTION: An original version of this article said Boam was released on his own recognizance as stated in jail records. However, updated court information list Boam was released on conditions set by pre-trial services.

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

POCATELLO — Olivia Sabrina Jay, 23, of Blackfoot, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for making a false statement to a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced Wednesday.

Chief District Judge David C. Nye also ordered that Jay serve three years of supervised release after her release from prison. Jay pleaded guilty to the offense on June 25.

According to court records, on Sept. 14, 2018, the Fort Hall Police responded to a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation where a person had been run over by a car and suffered severe injuries. Officers contacted Jay, who blamed an intoxicated man for intentionally running over the victim with a car. Jay was later interviewed about the incident by an FBI Special Agent. Jay again said that the intoxicated man targeted and deliberately ran over the victim with a car.

A witness to the incident later told authorities that the intoxicated man was not driving the car, but that Jay was driving the car. Jay then admitted that she had lied to police officers and the FBI. She admitted accidentally running over the victim.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department.

(CNN) — An Arizona county assessor is accused of human smuggling as part of a scheme that involved more than 40 pregnant women from the Marshall Islands brought to the United States to give up their babies for adoption, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

Paul D. Petersen, an adoption lawyer licensed in Utah and Arizona and elected Maricopa County assessor, was arrested Tuesday night in Arizona, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes told reporters. He faces 11 felony counts in Utah, including human smuggling, sale of a child and communications fraud. He also faces fraud, conspiracy, theft and forgery charges in Arizona.

Petersen’s illegal adoption scheme allegedly involved the recruitment, transportation and payments to dozens of pregnant women from the islands in the central Pacific, according to Reyes.

“The commercialization of children is illegal and the commoditization of children is simply evil,” Reyes said.

The investigation, which also includes Arkansas, dates to October 2017 when the Utah attorney general’s human trafficking tip line began receiving calls about suspicious births and adoptions involving Marshallese women, authorities said.

“Petersen’s illegal adoption scheme exploited highly vulnerable groups in two countries — the birth mothers and families in the Marshall Islands and the adoptive parents here in Utah,” Reyes said.

Petersen’s attorney calls his actions ‘proper business practices’

At a hearing in Arizona on Tuesday, Matthew Long, Petersen’s attorney, called his client’s actions “proper business practices” and said they “look forward to challenging” the allegations in court. He described Petersen’s $500,000 cash bond as “curious and troubling.”

Long did not respond to a request for comment.

The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office said the arrest did not disrupt service to county homeowners. “The leadership team will continue to facilitate the day to day operations to ensure the highest level of customer service,” the office said in a statement.

The indictment against Petersen in Arizona lists a woman named Lynwood Jennet as a co-defendant. Jennet is Marshallese and worked with Petersen at his law firm, according to Mia Garcia, spokeswoman for the Arizona attorney general. It’s unclear whether Jennet has an attorney.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement that Petersen allegedly falsified information to place the Marshallese women on state-funded health care to cover delivery costs.

The Arizona scheme bilked the state out of more than $814,000, the statement said. After the adoptions, the women either moved to Arkansas or returned to the Marshall Islands. Petersen and Jennet are accused of directing the mothers to fraudulently misrepresent their residency status to obtain health care benefits.

Authorities in Arizona and Utah stressed they have no interest in interfering with adoptions that have already taken place.

“They are not under investigation, and their adoptions are not in danger if they are complete,” Richard Piatt, a spokesman for the Utah attorney general, said of the families.

More than 40 pregnant Marshallese women were transported to Utah between 2016 and 2019

In Utah, according to court documents, Petersen is accused of running an enterprise to transport pregnant Marshallese women to the state for adoptions. The women were housed in residences Petersen allegedly owned or leased, according to the documents.

“The defendant collected proceeds from each adoption in the form of fees paid to him by adoptive parents,” the documents said.

Petersen is accused of transporting or securing transportation for more than 40 pregnant Marshallese women to Utah between August 2016 and August 2019, the documents said.

Through associates of Petersen, each woman was allegedly offered $10,000 “to induce them to place their children up for adoption in Utah,” the documents said.

The investigation began after hospital staff reported “an influx of Marshallese women giving birth at Utah hospitals and giving their babies up for adoption,” according to the documents. The women reported the same address and their adoption paperwork referred to the same attorney, Petersen.

In February 2018, a pregnant Marshallese woman told a social worker that she did not know the parents adopting her baby and that she was being paid for the adoption, the documents said. An associate of Petersen admitted to the social worker that she gets housing and bills paid in return for traveling to the Marshall Islands to “find pregnant women to adopt their babies out.”

A memorandum of understanding sent to one adoptive family by Petersen listed a fee of $35,000, with $25,000 paid up front and $10,000 after the baby was delivered, according to documents.

Subpoenaed bank records showed deposits of more than $2.7 million into an account set up for adoption payments between December 2016 and September 2018, the documents said.

The Maricopa County Assessor’s website describes Petersen as a graduate of the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, adoption attorney and twice-elected assessor. The bio says Petersen has spent nearly 15 years providing counsel for adoptive and birth parents in hundreds of adoption cases since beginning his practice.

“In his limited free time, Assessor Petersen attempts to play tennis and golf. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his family,” according to his bio.

IDAHO FALLS — A man who shot a Bingham County Sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced for his crimes in Bonneville County.

Beginning in Sept. 2018, Juan Santos-Quintero, 24, robbed and burglarized multiple victims in Idaho Falls. In Nov. 2018, law enforcement tracked him to a home in Firth where he shot and seriously wounded Bingham County Sgt. Todd Howell before being taken into custody.

On Wednesday, District Judge Bruce Pickett sentenced Santos-Quintero to 30 years in prison with 25 years fixed, five years indeterminate for the multiple robberies and the burglary in Idaho Falls.

RELATED: Police searching for armed and dangerous man

Santos-Quintero pleaded guilty to three felony charges of robbery and one felony charge of burglary as part of a plea agreement. In turn, Bonneville County Deputy Prosecutor Tanner Crowther agreed to drop two other robbery charges and one burglary charge from Sept. 10, 2018.

Crowther also agreed to not recommend more than 20 years fixed for the robbery charges. Burglary carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. During the sentencing hearing Wednesday, Crowther asked for 20 years for the robbery charges and the maximum 10 years for the burglary charge.

RELATED: Juan Santos-Quintero sentenced for shooting Bingham County deputy

Pickett sentenced Santos-Quintero to 20 years fixed for the robbery charges and five years fixed with five years indeterminate for the burglary charge.

Pickett ordered the sentence to run concurrently with the 27 years to life Santos-Quintero was sentenced to for shooting Howell.

IDAHO FALLS — A local man admitted to raping and molesting a young girl repeatedly over the past four to five years, according to court documents.

Micah Brewster, 31, was arrested Wednesday when a 12-year-old girl reported he’d molested her. During a forensic interview, the victim said Brewster had been raping her for years. Brewster was charged with felony lewd conduct with a minor.

The victim was known to Brewster.

According to court documents, investigators arrived at the home where the 12-year-old had allegedly been raped and molested. Authorities had permission to search the home from someone living there.

Brewster answered the door. They told him they wanted to question him and were going to search the home.

According to documents, Brewster allegedly told investigators he’d raped the victim at least 30 times from the time she was 7 or 8 years old to the present. He also allegedly described how he’d molested her.

Brewster was taken into custody and booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

He was arraigned Thursday and has since posted bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 23.

The conditions of his release stipulate that Brewster is not allowed to be around anyone under 18 years old.

Lewd conduct with a minor under 16 carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The following is a news release from Idaho Falls Police Department.

IDAHO FALLS – On October 9th, at approximately 5:45 p.m., an Idaho Falls Neighborhood Police Officer was patrolling in the area of J and Lake Street and observed a vehicle fail to properly signal before leaving the road. The Officer subsequently performed a traffic stop on the vehicle, which resulted in felony drug arrests for two people and the seizure of approximately 84 grams of methamphetamine.

After witnessing the failure to signal, the Officer initiated his overhead lights and stopped the vehicle. The Officer made contact with the occupants of the vehicle who immediately appeared to be visibly nervous. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Ciara Holm, a 27 year old female Idaho Falls resident, and the passenger was identified as Nori Hankins, a 35 year old male Idaho Falls resident.

While verifying their identities and vehicle registration, the officer observed Hankins making furtive movements, reaching around the vehicle, and looking to see if the officer was watching. Without knowing what Hankins was doing, this was a cause for concern. Hankins was asked to stop those movements and a second arriving officer was designated to watch Hankins’ movements.

Due to their behavior and information from Hankins’ and Holm’s records that indicated prior drug use, the officer called for a narcotics K-9. Prior to the K9’s arrival, the officer asked the driver, Holm, to step out of the vehicle to speak with him. The officer told Holm that a K-9 Officer was en route and offered to have Holm wait in the officer’s patrol car to stay warm rather than outside, which she agreed to.

Officers then asked Hankins to exit the vehicle, which he did abruptly with unpredictable movements. Officers were able to see two pipes commonly used to smoke methamphetamine protruding from Hankins’ pocket. Hankins’ was then detained.

The officer then went back to the patrol vehicle to speak with Holm, and told her that Hankins’ had drug paraphernalia on him and asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle. Holm stated that there was, including paraphernalia and a small amount of heroin. At this time, Holm was also detained.

A search was conducted of the vehicle which yielded various paraphernalia and a small plastic baggie containing a brown and tarry substance identified as .08 grams of heroin. On the passenger side of the vehicle a black case was found under the seat that contained several baggies of a white crystal substance identified as 83.8 grams of methamphetamine.

Ciara Holm was arrested for Felony Drug Possession and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Nori Hankins was arrested for Felony Trafficking of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both were taken to the Bonneville County Jail.

POCATELLO — Police arrested a man accused of stabbing a woman multiple times Saturday night.

Steven Skylar Drain, also known as Johnny McLeod, was taken into custody Sunday around 3:45 a.m. following a brief standoff with police.

Officers were called to the 500 block of South 8th Avenue around 9 p.m. Saturday for a report of a dispute involving a man and a woman. The woman had been stabbed several times, according to a Pocatello Police news release.

Drain was seen leaving the home and investigators asked the public for help in finding him.

Police received several tips and officers were led to a home on the 1500 block of Zener Street. Drain was arrested following a standoff.

The name and condition of the woman have not been released. Police say there is no further danger to the public and charges are pending against Drain. Officers thank citizens for their help.

AMMON — Three TJ Maxx employees allegedly stole thousands of dollars in merchandise in a scheme foiled by the corporate office.

According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, a Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputy visited the store on Oct. 9 after the district loss prevention manager in Utah became suspicious of three employees stealing items from the store.

All three of the employees admitted to management and deputies to stealing or helping steal items over several months. The exact amount taken remains unknown but could be upwards of $6,000.

Lissette Galvan, 18, Sonia Castro, 20 and Angel Cisneros-Ambers, 19, are charged with felony grand theft for their alleged involvement in the scheme.

When detectives spoke with the corporate loss prevention manager, she said the trio would ring each other up at the register and void some of the items. Additionally, several items in the reported thefts were placed into bags without being scanned.

Castro and Cisneros-Ambers told investigators they had been stealing the items for about four months, according to court documents. Investigators wrote Castro told them she witnessed others stealing items from the store and then joined in.

“Sonia said they reported it to management and loss prevention but nothing happened,” the probable cause reads. “(When she) noticed the other associates not getting in trouble for stealing they started … stealing items.”

According to court documents, Galvan admitted to stealing for eight of the 15 months she worked at the store. She told investigators she, Castro and Cisneros-Ambers were the only ones involved in the thefts.

Early calculations from deputies show Galvan’s total involvement included $6,000 in merchandise, Castro’s was $5,000 and Cisneros-Ambers came in around $1,200. The amounts include items they either stole themselves or helped others take from the store, so overlap between the three could be possible.

All three were arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail. They were released on their own recognizance and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 23.

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — The man accused of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old girl and wounding eight other people at or near the child’s birthday party on June 30, 2018, is back in the Ada County Jail after a judge on Saturday declared that he is competent to stand trial.

Timmy Earl Kinner Jr., 31, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 3-year-old Ruya Kadir, and prosecutors plan to pursue the death penalty. He faces 12 other felonies connected to the mass stabbing at a Boise apartment complex.

In January, 4th Judicial District Court Judge Nancy Baskin ruled that Kinner was “dangerously mentally ill,” unable to assist in his own defense and a flight risk. He has been housed at the Idaho Department of Correction’s Secure Mental Health Facility while professionals have worked to restore his competency for trial.

Baskin had committed Kinner to the secure mental health facility at the maximum-security prison south of Boise for up to 90 days of treatment. His stay had been repeatedly extended because he was previously not deemed competent to stand trial.

In an order on Saturday, though, Baskin wrote that Kinner “has sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding — and (that) he has a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him.” Hearings had been held again in September to determine whether or not he was competent to assist in his own defense.

Kinner’s jury trial is tentatively set for Jan. 13, 2020.

IDAHO FALLS — A judge ordered an Idaho Falls man to spend up to 15 years in prison for molesting two young girls over several years.

Evan Mercado, 20, was sentenced to 18 months fixed time in prison with 13 and a half years indeterminate after pleading guilty to two felony counts of lewd conduct with a child. District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. gave Mercado credit for the six months he spent in jail, meaning Mercado could be released as early as Oct. 2020.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, police arrested Mercado in April after he admitted to sexually assaulting the two girls several years ago while the victims were around 12 and 10. The girls told investigators Mercado performed sex acts on them and forced them to reciprocate the acts on him.

RELATED: Idaho Falls man admits to molesting young girls

The encounters occurred while Mercado was also a juvenile. He admitted to some of the abuse while denying other parts of it and said he was good at “blocking things out” and that “things were done with both of them.” Mercado said the abuse stopped after one of the victims threatened to tell an adult.

Bonneville County Assistant Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tanner Crowther recommended Mercado serve a prison sentence of two years fixed and 13 years indeterminate. Crothwer noted Mercado offered little remorse and comments made to the pre-sentence investigator alluded that he felt he had legal protection because of his age.

“In some ways, I feel that is accurate,” Crowther said. “If he were not a juvenile at the time these offenses occurred, our view would be different, our recommendation would be different, and I suspect the court would treat him differently.”

Rocky Wixom, Mercado’s defense attorney, felt a rider program was a heavy enough sentence for a young man charged with crimes he committed as a teenager.

“He’ll get programing in the rider program that will help him begin to address these issues,” Wixom said.

RELATED: What is a rider?

Wixom noted that in the PSI, out of 19 cases similar to Mercado’s, 11 defendants were placed on a rider, three on probation and five sent to prison.

“A majority of sentencing’s from IDOC (Idaho Department of Correction) in situations like this get exactly what I’m asking,” Wixom said. “I’m asking the court to do what is the norm.”

Mercado said he wants to make restitution, repair the damaged relationships and receive treatment to insure “it never happens again,” calling the sex abuse a problem.

“I want the victims to know that I’m sorry,” Mercado said. “I want the court to know that as well and that I’ve taken full responsibility from the very beginning. I didn’t realize how much damage I had caused by my actions and how much the victims suffered … I do intend to make things right if at all possible.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Watkins ordered Mercado to pay $1,745.50 in fees and fines. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.

“It’s this courts hope that you will ultimately bring yourself to the place where it never, never, happens again,” Wakins said. “These (crimes) are so destructive on adolescents and minors.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Two cousins robbed a girl and her father at gunpoint when the four met up to sell a phone in Salt Lake City on Saturday. Then, the father pulled out his own gun and fired at the cousins as they ran away, jail records show.

One of the cousins, 20-year-old Buk Mawut Buk, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail later that day on suspicion of two counts of aggravated robbery and intentionally giving false information to an officer, according to a police affidavit. Buk’s cousin was a juvenile and his name will not be released, police said.

The girl’s father will not face charges, according to Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray.

Earlier on Saturday, the girl found an iPhone on a classifieds site and began messaging the seller, who identified himself as “Lil,” jail records state. The girl and the seller agreed that she would pay $290 for the iPhone and planned to meet at 3400 W. 5620 South in Salt Lake later that day.

The girl and her father withdrew the agreed-upon amount in cash from an ATM, then drove to the address the seller had provided about 6:15 p.m., according to a police affidavit. But when they knocked on the door, they didn’t get an answer.

As they returned to their car, two men approached them, brandishing a knife and gun. The two demanded the money, as well as a phone that was sitting on the center console of the father’s car, jail records show. The girl and her father handed over the money and phone, and the pair fled.

As the two ran away, the girl’s father pulled out his own gun and fired three rounds at them because he “was in fear for others’ lives, knowing they had a gun,” according to jail records.

The two males were not hit, but Unified police officers later found Buk and his younger cousin, both of whom matched the description the father gave officers, the police affidavit states.

During interviews with the pair, officers discovered they were related and that Buk had made the ad for the phone. Buk also admitted to planning and committing the robbery and confessed that he had both a knife and a semi-automatic style BB gun but threw them away while running from police, according to jail records.

When Buk was initially interviewed, he gave the detective the name of one of his other cousins, jail records show. When detectives contacted the juvenile’s mother, she told police Buk had given them the name of one of her other sons who was home with her at the time of the robbery. Buk is her nephew, but she has raised him like a son, she told police.

Buk was found guilty of shoplifting and failing to appear in court in 2018 and has been charged with several other misdemeanors in the past, including theft, interference with an officer and obstruction of justice. He has also had warrants issued for his arrest, court records show.

BLACKFOOT — The Shelley man who stabbed his father with a pitchfork in May pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon.

Jonathan R. Rawson, 35, pleaded guilty to an attempt to commit a serious felony (murder) as part of a plea agreement. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dismissed a felony aggravated assault, felony burglary and misdemeanor battery charge. The charge Rawson pleaded guilty to holds up to a 20-year prison sentence.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Bingham County Sheriff deputies found 68-year-old Delbert Rawson stabbed in the face and chest with a pitchfork on May 29. During an interview with police, Delbert Rawson said he awoke at 3 a.m. to his son stabbing him. During the incident, Jonathan Rawson reportedly said he was going to kill his father.

Both Jonathan and Delbert Rawson were taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and Delbert Rawson recovered from his injuries.

A mental evaluation determined Rawson competent to stand for trial and in July he initially pleaded not guilty.

Rawson’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 9 before District Judge Darren B. Simpson.

IDAHO FALLS — A local man has been arrested after a woman said he tried to violently rape her.

After a woman got into an argument with her mother, she walked around her apartment complex on E Street in Idaho Falls. She was cold and accepted an offer from a man in another apartment to come inside and get warm. She drank a cup of coffee and chatted with him a little bit.

That’s when the man, Mark Sterling Banks, allegedly tried to rape her.

Banks was arrested Friday and charged with battery with intent to commit a serious felony.

According to court documents, the 34-year-old victim was sitting on a chair inside Banks’ apartment, drinking a cup of coffee. She told law enforcement Banks began asking her questions about sex if she liked oral or rough sex.

The victim said Banks pulled his pants down, grabbed her and tried to force her to give him oral sex. She pulled away, telling him no. That’s when he allegedly grabbed her arms and threw her on his bed.

She told investigators Banks tried to pull her clothes off, but she held onto them and continued to tell him no.” After a while, he stopped trying to force her and left the room. The victim got up and called 911.

According to documents, when officers questioned Banks about what happened, he told them the victim “was kinda willing.” Officers told him that a person is either willing or isn’t. Banks responded by saying she wasn’t willing and “wanted to fight.”

Banks allegedly told officers he forced the victim onto the bed and proceeded to try to remove her clothing despite her continually telling him no and fighting him.

Banks was booked into the Bonneville County Jail and given a $50,000 bond. Banks posted bond and was released into pretrial services. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 25.

BLACKFOOT — A Blackfoot man has pleaded guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Alejandro Mateo, 20, was arrested in July after the 14-year-old victim’s parents caught them having sex in the victim’s bedroom. As part of a plea agreement, Mateo pleaded guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 on Tuesday. A second count of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 was dismissed.

The plea agreement also stipulates that at sentencing, the prosecution will not request a different punishment than what the pre-sentencing investigation recommends.

Mateo is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 23.

Lewd conduct with a minor under 16 carries a maximum penalty of up life in prison.

According to court documents, when investigators questioned Mateo about being caught by the victim’s parents, he admitted to having sex with the victim. He also told investigators that he and the victim had been having sex since March of this year.

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Idaho.

POCATELLO – Francis R. Casildo, 36, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Casildo to serve five years of supervised release once he has completed his prison term.

According to court records, on or about March 12 and March 26, 2018, Casildo traveled to Pocatello, Idaho, and distributed methamphetamine. On April 2, 2018, Casildo facilitated a third distribution of methamphetamine. As a result, Casildo caused 206.35 grams of pure methamphetamine to be distributed in Idaho. After a three-day trial earlier this year, Casildo was found guilty on all charged counts.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Idaho State Police, Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, Pocatello Police Department, Blackfoot Police Department, and the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office.

KAYSVILLE, Utah (KSTU) — A Latter-day Saint Bishop is being held without bail after investigators said they located thousands of images of child pornography at his home, and investigators believe he may have sexually abused children.

In August, Skype informed local law enforcement officials that a user had uploaded child pornography under the username “timhallows”.

Investigators determined that account originated at a home in Kaysville owned by 61-year-old Timothy James Hallows. Other tips submitted on October 3 also showed accounts uploading child porn that linked back to Hallows’ IP address in Kaysville.

Hallows is a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a church website indicates he oversaw the Wellington Ward in Kaysville.

Officers served a warrant and said Hallows admitted to distributing child pornography, admitting to owning more than 100 images.

“Hallows stated the children are not real, and provided several incidents of justification or rationalization for the conduct” the documents state.

The PC statement indicates Hallows “refused to take a polygraph examination with questions regarding hands-on sexual contact with young children… He described camping trips with children, where he took pictures of children, expressing that this could lead to a failed polygraph. He did these camping trips while acting in his role as a Bishop for the LDS church.”

Investigators located thousands of images of child pornography, “including many images of child sexual abuse” during the warrant service.

Capt. Taylor West, Davis County Sheriff’s Office, said they are still trying to determine the identity of the victims.

“We know that there are multiple images that he has in his possession at the time of his arrest, and that may mean there are multiple victims,” West said. “We are still further investigating who the victims of this case are.”

Officers requested that Hallows be held without bail, noting that he holds a special position of trust due to his role as a bishop in Kaysville.

“This includes unfettered access to children in his congregation and in private,” investigators wrote in that request. “Hallows made several concerning statements that led investigators to believe he has had sexual contact with children.”

West also said Hallows made comments that lead them to believe more investigation is needed. He urges anyone who was victimized by the man to contact police.

“We encourage any victim to come forward and talk to authorities, go to a person in law enforcement or a trusted person in your family or community—an adult that you trust if you’re an underaged person—and please come talk with us,” West said. “We’d like to hear from you, regarding this case or any other case.”

A judge granted a request to hold Hallows without bail Thursday. He has been booked into jail and faces eight counts of enticing a minor by internet or text, which are second-degree felonies.

A church spokesman said Hallows was removed “from any position that would place him in close contact with youth or children” immediately after the allegations were reported. See below for their full statement:

“The allegations against this individual are serious and deeply troubling. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no tolerance for abuse of any kind, including child pornography, and teaches its members and leaders that such behavior is offensive to God and to His Church. When local leaders learned of these allegations, this individual was immediately removed from any position that would place him in close contact with youth or children. This is done to ensure the safety of others and to allow this individual to address these serious allegations.”

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

POCATELLO — Francis R. Casildo, 36, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Casildo to serve five years of supervised release once he has completed his prison term.

According to court records, on or about March 12 and March 26, 2018, Casildo traveled to Pocatello and distributed methamphetamine. On April 2, 2018, Casildo facilitated a third distribution of methamphetamine. As a result, Casildo caused 206.35 grams of pure methamphetamine to be distributed in Idaho. After a three-day trial earlier this year, Casildo was found guilty on all charged counts.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Idaho State Police, Bannock County Sherriff’s Office, Pocatello Police Department, Blackfoot Police Department, and the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office.