Woman facing perjury charge

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County woman is scheduled to be arraigned for perjury on Friday.

Brooke Heather Jensen is accused of providing false testimony while under oath during a shelter care hearing on March 27, according to court documents.

Jensen, 32, allegedly claimed that her ex-husband had been sexually abusing their daughters, prompting Bonner County Sheriff’s detectives to investigate the allegations, a probable cause affidavit states.

The daughters, whose ages are not disclosed in court records, became the subject of a shelter care hearing under Idaho’s Child Protection Act. The hearing is conducted behind closed doors and documents in a shelter care case are filed under seal.

Jensen swore under oath to testify truthfully during the hearing. She told the court that one of her daughters left her father a voicemail indicating she did not want to participate in visitation with him because she was scared of him, the affidavit said. When asked by an attorney if she encouraged her daughter to leave the message, Jensen said no and testified that she counseled her daughter not to leave the message.

“She’s been very expressible that she doesn’t feel safe,” Jensen testified, according to the affidavit in the criminal case.

However, during a forensic interview at the LillyBrook Family Justice Center, the daughter disclosed that her mother made her leave the voicemail against her wishes.

“I was afraid so I just said it,” the daughter told the interviewer.

Perjury is a felony punishable by 1-14 years in prison, according to Idaho Code.

Jensen is free on a $5,000 cash bond while awaiting arraignment in Bonner County Magistrate Court.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.