Man pleads to lewd conduct

SANDPOINT — A Clark Fork man charged with engaging in lewd conduct with a minor pleaded guilty on Monday.

Joshua James Olson, 27, faces 20 years to life when he’s sentenced this summer. The defense remains free to argue for a lesser sentence, according the terms of a plea agreement in his case.

In exchange for the plea, a charge of possessing child pornography against Olson was dropped.

First District Judge Barbara Buchanan accepted Olson’s plea as being knowingly and voluntarily entered and set sentencing for July 15. He remains held at the Bonner County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Bonner County sheriff’s investigators and FBI agents searched Olson’s home on Washington Water Power Housing Road in March. They were acting on a report that Olson was sharing child pornography using the Internet, court documents indicate.

Olson allegedly admitted that he had a collection of child porn on a flash memory drive, according to a probable cause affidavit. A search of the data storage device led to the discovery of 24 videos and 67 photographs of the child identified as the victim in the lewd conduct charge.

The abuse occurred over a three-year period ending in February, charging documents allege. The girl was between the ages of 5 and 7 when the abuse occurred.

Buchanan ordered a presentence investigation, a psychosexual evaluation and a full-disclosure polygraph examination.