Post Falls man sentenced for stalking, voyeurism

COEUR d’ALENE — A man who pleaded guilty to stalking a woman and sharing intimate photos of her will spend up to five years in prison. 

Jesse D. Upchurch, 34, of Post Falls, pleaded guilty in September to video voyeurism, a felony, as well as stalking, a misdemeanor. Upchurch also pleaded guilty to injuring jails. 

First District Judge Casey Simmons sentenced Upchurch this week to five years in prison for video voyeurism, with parole eligibility after four years, and to five years in prison for injuring jails with parole eligibility after three years. Simmons sentenced Upchurch to 23 days in jail for the stalking charge and gave him 23 days’ credit for time served. 

Simmons opted to retain jurisdiction in the voyeurism and jail injury cases. This means Upchurch will spend up to a year in a prison treatment program, called a rider, after which the court will decide whether to release him on probation or send him back to prison to serve the rest of his sentence. 

The charges stem from early August, when a woman reported to police that Upchurch had been stalking her. 

The woman told police that Upchurch grabbed her wrist hard enough to leave “significant bruising” in July. She said Upchurch had repeatedly called and texted her, using different phone numbers and various social media accounts after she blocked his number. 

Some of the messages suggested Upchurch had been following the woman and observing her from afar without her knowledge, police said. Court records indicate Upchurch also called the woman’s workplace and made threatening statements to other employees. 

Facebook messages reviewed by police showed that Upchurch had shared intimate photos of the woman with multiple people, according to court records. 

Police arrested Upchurch on Aug. 2. After he was booked into jail, he attempted to call the woman from a jail phone, according to court records. He later punched a window, causing a “spider web” fracture to the glass, according to court records. 

In exchange for Upchurch’s guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a second count of video voyeurism, as well as a habitual offender enhancement. 

In court Monday, prosecutors said Upchurch “has a pattern and propensity toward violence” and expressed concerns that the behavior could happen again. 

Before receiving the sentence, Upchurch apologized for his actions and said he has been working to address the substance abuse problems that contributed to his behavior. 

“When I was in prison, I realized I didn’t want to live that way,” he said. “I’ve been applying all the things I’ve learned.” 

Upchurch has multiple prior felony convictions, court records show, including burglary in 2013, grand theft in 2014, possession of a controlled substance in 2015 and battery on a health care worker in 2019.  

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, call Safe Passage Violence Prevention Center’s 24-hour helpline: 208-664-9303.