Lewd conduct suspect pleads guilty

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County man accused of lewd conduct with a minor is pleading guilty.

Jacob Steven McKnight faces lifelong imprisonment when he’s sentenced on June 4 in 1st District Court. However, a plea agreement in the case is recommending a five- to 10-year term with retained jurisdiction so long as the Idaho Department of Correction determines McKnight to be a low-risk offender, according to court documents.

If jurisdiction is retained, McKnight will spend up to a year in prison before being considered for release onto probation. He could also be made to serve out the underlying prison term if his term of retained jurisdiction, also known as a rider, goes poorly for McKnight.

McKnight, 19, was charged with lewd conduct and rape last year, after allegations emerged that he had physically and sexually abused a minor over a four-year period ending in June 2018.

The alleged victim told investigators she attempted to ward off the attacks, but was overcome by force, a police affidavit said. The rape and lewd conduct charges, however, are confined to misconduct in June of 2018.

The alleged victim broke the cycle of abuse by disclosing it to adults and authorities, court records indicate. McKnight allegedly admitted to the abuse when he was confronted by Bonner County sheriff’s investigators.

McKnight faced two counts of lewd conduct and one count of rape. In exchange for a plea to one of the lewd conduct counts, the other two charges were dismissed, according to court documents. McKnight’s conviction would require him to register as a sex offender.

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