Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Man pleads guilty to child sex crime

Defendant admits to sexual abuse of a minor


By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

    A 42-year-old Sun Valley man pleaded guilty Monday to sexual abuse of a minor under 16 years of age in case in April involving a 9-year-old girl in Ketchum.
    Mark Christian Peterson entered his plea before Judge Robert J. Elgee in Blaine County 5th District Court. Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 4. The crime is punishable in Idaho by up to 25 years in prison. Elgee ordered that a psychosexual evaluation be conducted for the defendant prior to sentencing.
    Peterson remains incarcerated in the Blaine County jail on $100,000 bond.
    A second felony charge, video voyeurism, has been dismissed against Peterson.
    Ketchum police reported earlier that the crimes stemmed from an incident at Giacobbi Square the evening of April 13. Police reported that Peterson followed the 9-year-old girl into a downstairs public restroom and peeked under a stall that she was using.
    The girl fled and police were notified. Peterson was arrested at the scene. Police reported that Peterson’s smart phone was confiscated and that he had used it to take video of the girl while she was in the restroom.
    Peterson’s guilty plea averted a jury trial that was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com




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