A California professional photographer has been charged with two counts of lewd conduct with a minor child under 16 for allegedly molesting two teenage sisters last week.
Christopher Scott Honeysett, a 42-year-old San Francisco artistic photographer, was formally charged with the crimes last Friday in Blaine County Magistrate Court. He was arrested the previous evening after the girls' parents complained to Ketchum police about the alleged incident.
A criminal complaint filed against Honeysett accuses him of committing "lewd and lascivious" acts on the two girls. Specifically, the complaint alleges he had "manual to genital and oral to genital contact" with one of the girls and "manual to genital" contact with the other.
Lewd conduct with a minor child under 16 is punishable in Idaho by up to life in prison.
The Ketchum Police Department declined to say where the alleged incident occurred or whether or not Honeysett was previously acquainted with the girls.
A "probable cause affidavit," a document that is filed with the court by the investigating police agency, was not available for review by the Idaho Mountain Express.
Blaine County court records say Honeysett was in Ketchum last week to display his photographs at the Sun Valley Center Arts and Crafts Festival.
Honeysett was released from the Blaine County Jail on Saturday after posting $100,000 bond. Prior to his release, the defendant signed a waiver of extradition, in which he promised to voluntarily return to Blaine County for subsequent court proceedings.
Magistrate Court Judge Jason Walker ordered Honeysett to have no contact with girls under 18 and to stay in contact with Andrew Parnes, the Ketchum attorney hired to represent the defendant. Walker, a newly appointed 5th District Court magistrate judge in Twin Falls, has recently been hearing some cases in Blaine County.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 18 at 1:30 p.m.
According to Honeysett's Web site, the defendant is the owner of San Francisco-based Chris Honeysett Photography. He is a professional creative photographer who frequently displays his work at shows across the United States and has had his photographs published in numerous magazines and other publications.
Christopher Scott Honeysett
