Man sentenced for abuse of a vulnerable adult

COEUR d’ALENE — A Post Falls man accused of sexually abusing a vulnerable adult in Bonner and Kootenai counties is being ordered to serve up to eight years in prison, 1st District Court records show.

Rex Daniel Clark will have to serve at least a year and a half in prison before he can be considered for parole, according to the terms of Judge Fred Gibler’s sentence, which was handed down on Feb. 12, court documents indicate.

Clark, 57, was charged with carrying on a sexual relationship with the alleged victim during a nine-month period in 2017. The alleged victim was 38 at the time, although she had the capabilities of a 7-year-old child due to a developmental delay. The sexual misconduct occurred at a Kelso Lake cabin and in Kootenai County, charing papers allege.

Clark was prosecuted in both counties, although the Bonner County case was dismissed with prejudice because he pleaded guilty and was being sentenced in the Kootenai County case, court records indicate.

Clark was charged with two counts of sexually exploiting a vulnerable adult, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Clark came into contact with the woman because she used to be a resident in a group home operated by his wife, according to court documents.

A presentence investigation suggested the sexual contact was consensual, although Gibler doubted she was capable of providing consent due to her disability, sentencing hearing minutes states.

Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Donna Gardner recommended a “severe” sentence and criticized Clark for minimizing his misconduct.

“It is unfair that the defendant calls this an affair and blames the victim,” said Gardner, who recommended a four- to 10-year term.

Kootenai County Public Defender Mayli Walsh noted that the Idaho Department of Correction concluded Clark was a low-risk offender and argued for a local jail sentence. Walsh added that Clark did not need to be imprisoned in order to protect society because he will be on probation and the Idaho sex offender registry.

Clark apologized for his misconduct during the hearing.

“What I did was absolutely wrong,” said Clark.

Gibler opted against a lesser sentence, finding that it would send the wrong message to the public, court records indicate.

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