Man pleads guilty to sex with girl, 14

A 50-year-old Rathdrum man accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl pleaded guilty this week to one count of lewd conduct with a minor as part of a plea agreement.

An attorney for Alpha L. Roberts said his client wanted to have a clear conscience.

Roberts was arrested in April after investigators learned of two incidents in which Roberts allegedly fondled a 14-year-old, developmentally disabled girl and had manual genital conduct with the victim, according to police reports.

The victim told school administrators she had been raped, according to court records.

Investigators set up a sting operation in which they used the victim’s phone to send Roberts text messages. Police pretended to be the victim seeking guidance after the incident. The conversations were recorded, police said.

Deputy prosecutor Melissa McClure said the evidence against Roberts, which included incriminating statements he made after his arrest, was likely insurmountable.

“There’s a high likelihood of conviction,” McClure said at Roberts’s first appearance, where a judge set bail at $50,000.

Prosecutors said Wednesday they were willing to drop one of two lewd conduct charges against the defendant.

“This plea is entered out of his desire to plead guilty and move forward,” defense attorney Sean Walsh said.

Lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16 carries a maximum life prison sentence and a $50,000 fine.

An Oct. 7 jury trial was vacated. First District Judge Cynthia K.C. Meyer scheduled a Sept. 26 sentencing in Coeur d’Alene.