Man gets 15 years in lewd conduct case

A man will spend up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to inappropriately touching a child he met through his church.

Mark E. Peterson, 55, of Hayden, pleaded guilty last week in accordance with Alford to lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16, a felony.

By entering the Alford plea, Peterson does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence that he might be convicted if the case went to trial.

Peterson was accused of touching a 9-year-old girl’s private area through her clothes. They reportedly attended the same Coeur d'Alene church.

Police began an investigation in 2019 after a woman who babysat the girl reported that the girl had said Peterson touched her inappropriately. The girl said Peterson touched her on multiple occasions, both at her family’s home and at her grandparents’ home, according to court documents.

The child’s mother said in court that Peterson used to visit the family’s home about once a week and had watched the children on several occasions.

She stated she had a meeting with Peterson to set boundaries in July 2019, after she saw Peterson and her daughter seated together in a recliner with a blanket covering them, according to court documents.

Peterson reportedly agreed during that meeting not to allow any children to sit in his lap, sit next to him in church or enter his vehicle, the girl’s mother said in court.

A judge sentenced Peterson on Thursday to 15 years in prison, with six years fixed and nine years indeterminate.