Hayden man sentenced to prison for lewd conduct with minor

A 73-year-old Hayden man was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after being convicted of lewd conduct with a minor under 16.

David Allen Ihle will be eligible for parole after three years, according to a press release from the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office.

The release said that between May 2013 and August 2014, Ihle engaged in inappropriate contact with a then 9–10-year-old child.

The state noted that "Ihle engaged in repeated grooming behavior with the child, minimized his accountability by claiming he accidentally" found himself touching the child inappropriately and continued to pose a threat to society despite his old age, the release said.

Senior District Judge Barbara Buchanan noted that the sexual victimization of children is among the most serious of crimes, according to the release.

“The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office supports victims of crime, particularly children who have been abused by the hands of a trusted adult," said Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen in the release. "This type of conduct is among the worst in society and we appreciate all who work to protect children.”