Accused rapist pleads not guilty
COEUR d’ALENE — A former Lake City High School student accused of raping and beating his ex-girlfriend pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges this week.
The 16-year-old student is charged with rape, attempted strangulation and aggravated assault, all felonies. He is also charged with battery, a misdemeanor.
The suspect’s name has not been released because he is a minor, though he is charged as an adult.
Another Lake City High School student contacted Coeur d’Alene police in late April to report what she described as more than a year of daily abuse at the hands of her former boyfriend.
The 16-year-old girl testified in court last month that the suspect raped her approximately 10 times between February 2020 and January 2021.
“When I tried to resist, he would rip my hair out and hit me,” she said.
She described an incident where the suspect allegedly chased her into a wooded area behind his home with a baseball bat.
“I was afraid that he would kill me,” she said.
Police said video and audio recordings depicting the abuse had circulated in the student population.
In one video presented in court, a person identified by prosecutors as the suspect could be heard yelling.
The teen girl said she hid her phone under her leg in order to record the video, which primarily showed the interior of the suspect’s car.
After the sound of a scuffle, the girl cried out and sobbed, “Please don’t hit me.”
The suspect continued to scream.
“You bring this upon yourself,” he yelled. “You make me turn into a bad guy. This is my fault for doing this s— to you, but you drive me insane to the point that I have to do it.”
Classmates testified that they had seen hand-shaped bruises on the girl’s arms, as well as black eyes and bruising on her neck, which she reportedly passed off as sports injuries and tried to cover with makeup.
A 17-year-old classmate testified that the suspect had admitted to raping and beating the girl.
Investigators conducted interviews with the accuser, her family and others before bringing charges against the suspect.
Charges were filed May 11.
Juveniles between the ages of 14 and 18 who are alleged to have committed any of the offenses listed in Idaho State Code 20-509, including rape, are automatically charged as adults.
A judge issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest May 12. He was taken into custody and posted a $50,000 cash bond the same day.
The suspect has reportedly not been present on the Lake City High School campus since he was charged. He has reportedly enrolled in a different area high school.
A no-contact order forbids the suspect from being alone with any unrelated teen girl.
A jury trial in the case has not yet been scheduled.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, call Safe Passage Violence Prevention Center’s 24-hour hotline: 208-664-9303.