Sex offender faces prison time after guilty plea

POST FALLS — A registered sex offender faces at least eight years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges.

Scott R. Austin, 48, of Coeur d’Alene, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, failure to register annually and sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitive material, all felonies.

Austin, who was convicted of sexual abuse of a child under 16 in 2007, was required to complete his annual registration at the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office by July 17, 2020.

He had not registered a month after that date, according to court documents, despite a letter sent to him as a reminder.

When police contacted Austin, who was staying temporarily at a friend’s residence in Post Falls, he reportedly had a small plastic bag containing meth in his pocket.

Post Falls Police arrested Austin at the scene.

A friend of Austin’s told police he left his belongings in her possession after his arrest and gave her the passcode for his cellphone.

During a pretrial hearing in October 2020, the woman testified that the phone contained images of naked children. She reported the images to police and surrendered the phone as evidence.

Austin reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges on March 30 as part of a pretrial settlement agreement that requires Austin be sentenced to eight years fixed. No indeterminate time is specified.

In exchange for Austin’s guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed an enhancement for repeat offenders that would have been punishable by a minimum of 15 years in prison.

Austin’s sentencing is scheduled for June 1 before Judge Rich Christensen, who ordered that a presentence report be completed before that date.