Man sentenced in lewd conduct case

SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint man will serve 5-10 years in prison for two counts of lewd conduct stemming from events in 2016.

Tyler John Christianson, 21, will spend the first year of his sentence in the court’s retained jurisdiction program, which could qualify him for probation after the first year of his sentence. Christianson will also have to register as a sex offender.

In handing down the sentence, First District Judge Barbara Buchanan cited Christianson’s lack of previous criminal history, difficult childhood, compliance with wearing his GPS monitor, and two different psychiatric assessments that specified he was unlikely to offend again.

Christianson will also pay $1,736.50 in court costs and other fees. However, Buchanan was not able to compel Christianson to pay restitution to the victim because of stipulations made in Christianson’s plea deal signed on May 7, 2020.

“Based on the results of the plea agreement, I cannot order restitution,” said Buchanan. “That doesn’t mean that there can’t be a civil action brought,” she said in addressing the victims.

Christianson committed criminal acts against two victims when he was 17, however, this case only involves incidents between Christianson and one of the victims.

Both victims commented on the plea agreement when it was their turn to make statements to the court.

“I just wanted to make it clear that I did not want to drop my charges,” said one of the victims whose charges were dropped as a stipulation of Christianson’s plea deal. “That was part of his plea deal. So if it would have gone differently, this would still be happening. That was not my choice.”

Another victim whose charges were carried forward did not attend Christianson’s sentencing, which was held remotely over Zoom. Instead, her mother spoke for her,

“To add to what [the other victim] said, the plea deal was not our decision,” the woman testified. “We adamantly protested it and that right was taken away from us. I think it speaks volumes that she can’t even be here at the sentencing to find out what justice will be served on her behalf. She literally left the house because she knew that I would be tuning in.”

Christianson was the last person invited to give a statement before his sentence was handed down,

“They slandered my name against me. And they don’t know who I am anymore,” said Christianson. “I’ve been trying to progress my life further and I’ve been held back now for over a year through these processes, and I’ve been nothing but compliant the whole time. I just would like to get this over with so I can move past it and move on with my life and do better.”

Buchanan then reviewed the guidelines of sentencing before verbalizing the factors that influenced her decision.

“This case is one of the most difficult that the court deals with,” said Buchanan. “Mr. Christianson was a juvenile when these crimes were committed. And normally [he] would have gone through the juvenile system. There’s no blame or fault, but because of the time they were reported, Mr. Christianson is now in the adult system and has to deal with these charges as an adult.”

Christianson used the same predatory methods on both of his victims, according to court records. He would begin by asking them to play truth or dare. The game would escalate to the point where he would ask the victims to do or confess things of a sexual nature. Christianson would go on to bribe his victims with junk food and access to his iPad in exchange for sexual acts. After the assaults, Christianson would threaten to tell others about what had happened. He told both victims about what he had done to the other, according to forensic interviews with both victims.

The first victim came forward three years after the assaults. She confessed to a female family member, who then told her husband, who then told their church congregation.

The other victim, upon learning about the prior victim coming forward, became “very visibly emotional and could not understand how Tyler could tell both victims what he had done to the other,” according to court records.

When it comes to sexual assault cases that involve minors in the state of Idaho, there is no time limit for people to come forward and report the crime. In these cases, no contact orders are issued by the court preventing the accused from contacting the victim in any way. A no contact order is similar to a restraining order, except that the court is the only body that can issue no contact orders.

There are many local, state, and federal resources available to victims of sexual assault and their families. Locally, people can reach out to LillyBrooke Family Justice Center at 208-265-3586 or Bonner County Dispatch at 208-265-5525. In a timely emergency, dial 911.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline can also be reached at 800-656-HOPE (4673).