Parole denied in rape case

SANDPOINT — Parole is being denied for a Sagle man who passed himself off as a teenager and in order to pursue sexual relationships with two underage girls in Bonner County, according to Idaho’s Commission of Pardons & Parole.

Aaron Richard Bevien was charged in 2012 with two counts of statutory rape for having sex with a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old. Bevien was in his early 30s at the time, but passed himself off as a 19-year-old, according to court documents.

Bevien entered an Alford plea to a single count of rape which addressed both alleged victims. Under the terms of the plea, Bevien admitted no wrongdoing but conceded he could be convicted of the crime if he were put on trial in 1st District Court.

Judge Barbara Buchanan ordered Bevien to serve a three- to 18-year prison term in 2013.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall recommended the sentence, with the lengthy indeterminate portion of the sentence intended to protect society.

In adopting the state’s recommendation, Buchanan noted that Bevien had failed to take responsibility for his misconduct.

A parole hearing in Bevien’s case was held on Feb. 13 and the denial was announced on Feb. 25, according to the parole commission’s website.

Bevien, 39, is serving his sentence at the Idaho State Correctional Center in Kuna, according to the Idaho Department of Correction. He has a tentative parole hearing date in 2022. His sentence satisfaction date is 2033.

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