Cd'A man gets 30 years

COEUR d'ALENE — A Coeur d'Alene man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to lewd conduct with a minor this week.

District Judge Scott Wayman sentenced Nathan Tyler Granger to 30 years in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years, but ran the sentence concurrent to the sentence in a 2019 case, according to a press release from the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

That means Granger will serve about 16 more years before becoming eligible for parole.

Criminal Chief Deputy Laura McClinton recommended a 30-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 20 years and requested that the court run the sentence consecutive to the sentence in the 2019 case.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen said the case demonstrates the reality that teenage girls can be easily preyed upon and victimized. 

"As a society, we must be mindful of grooming patterns and behaviors that adult men and women utilize to develop relationships with minor children in order to take advantage of them," he said in a press release. "Grooming patterns and behaviors include fostering friendships with minor children, purchasing gifts or food for them, taking an interest in their life and the activities they are involved in, and finding opportunities to be alone with them.”

On July 21, 2020, Granger, then 21, was sentenced for the felony crimes of rape, lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material, according to the press release.

Two minor victims were associated with these charges. Granger was arrested in September 2019 and held in custody on $100,000 bail.

In February of 2020, however, Granger posted bail and was released from custody pending sentencing. When sentenced, Granger was sent to prison for 20 years with parole eligibility after six years, the release said.

While out on bail, Granger committed a new crime of lewd conduct with a minor under 16, the release said. Between March and May of 2020, Granger engaged in genital-genital contact with a child when she was 15 and 16 years of age, ultimately resulting in a pregnancy, the release said.

"This crime was not discovered until January of 2021, after Granger was sentenced in the 2019 case and while serving his prison sentence. A warrant for Granger’s arrest was issued in 2021, but he was not brought back and arraigned in Kootenai County until Nov. 15, 2023," the release said.

Granger pleaded guilty to the new crime lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and admitted to a sex offender enhancement.

Lewd conduct with a minor under 16 is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. Idaho code requires that a repeat sex offender be sentenced to a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence that must be imposed.