'Sexual predator' receives sentence

COEUR d'ALENE - A 32-year-old Coeur d'Alene man was sentenced Monday in Kootenai County District Court to 25 years to life in prison for two counts of lewd conduct and sexual battery of a minor.

Justin Shawn Wheeler, who pleaded guilty to the offense in October 2103, was described by Judge Fred Gibler as a "sexual predator" and, according to a press release from the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office, the man victimized children and their families.

The Coeur d'Alene Police Department began investigating Wheeler in May 2013 when, according to the press release, the agency received reports that the man had inappropriate sexual contact with children ranging from 5 to 12 years old. During the investigation, Wheeler admitted to law enforcement that he had sexually abused several children.

Gibler, according to the release, cited Wheeler's "ongoing predatory conduct" when he gave the man the potential life sentence.

"Judge Gibler, by imposing the unusually length-fixed and indeterminate terms, demonstrated his concern that Mr. Wheeler would not stop preying on children," Barry McHugh, Kootenai County prosecutor, said in the release. "The sentence guarantees that Mr. Wheeler will not be released from prison until 2039, and only then if the Bureau of Corrections determines he can be released on terms that will adequately protect children."