Man to change plea in molestation case

HAYDEN — A man accused of molesting his daughter will plead guilty.

The 37-year-old Hayden man is expected to plead guilty next week to sexual abuse of a minor, a felony punishable by a maximum of 25 years in prison.

The charge stems from November 2020, when the 12-year-old girl reportedly told her mom that her father had molested her.

The girl said she needed to wear one-piece pajamas to bed because her father sometimes touched her inappropriately while he thought she was asleep, according to court documents.

After making the man leave the home, the girl’s mother disclosed the incident to family members, who later contacted police.

The girl described to police four instances in which her father touched her private area.

When contacted by police at a Coeur d’Alene motel on Dec. 1, the man reportedly said he did not remember touching his daughter as she described.

Police arrested the man at the hotel.

Prosecutors charged him with lewd conduct with a minor under 16, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.

Several days after his arrest, the man posted $50,000 bail.

He later pleaded not guilty to the original charge.

The man will plead guilty to the amended charge of sexual abuse of a minor as part of a pretrial settlement offer.

The Press is not naming the suspect because that would reveal the identity of the victim. The Press tries to protect the privacy of victims.