Teacher pleads not guilty to sex crime charges

COEUR d'ALENE - Daniel Taylor, a public school teacher accused of sex crimes involving a child, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment hearing in Kootenai County District Court Wednesday.

Taylor, 32, faces life in prison if he is found guilty of one felony count of lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16. Initially he was charged with a total of three felony counts, including rape. However, two of the felony charges were dropped and, in an agreement between county prosecutors and Taylor's defense, the lewd conduct charge was amended.

"The amended charge incorporates all the alleged conduct in one charge that carries a potential life sentence," Barry McHugh, Kootenai County Prosecutor, said.

According to a Coeur d'Alene Police Department report, the alleged victim's mother contacted the police department Dec. 5 to report a sex offense. The girl's mother told investigators that in the fall of 2012, the girl, now 7, and Taylor were taking a shower when a rape allegedly took place.

The police report details detectives' initial interviews with the child, who reported three incidents of sexual abuse, claiming they began in January 2011 and ended in August 2012.

When questioned by police, the report states that Taylor initially "adamantly" denied ever taking a shower with the alleged victim.

After further questioning, Taylor admitted to the officer that he had spoken to the alleged victim about keeping the incident a secret because "he felt like he was probably going to get into trouble."

The officer then referenced the interview with the alleged victim, to which Taylor replied "everything (she) has said is true."

According to Taylor's attorney, a jury trial, which has not been scheduled yet, will take approximately four days.

Taylor is on paid administrative leave from the Coeur d'Alene School District and the alleged incident did not involve a student or take place on school grounds.