Hoel sentenced 10 years in child abuse case

SANDPOINT — A Priest River man has been sentenced to serve ten years in prison after pleading guilty to a child abuse charge.  

Isaac Stewart Hoel Jr. plead guilty to one count of felony injury to child as part of a plea agreement. While conditions of the plea agreement are unknown, Hoel is expected to serve five determinate years in prison, and five indeterminate years.  

When an individual is charged with determinate prison time, they are required to serve that amount of time in prison. If they are eligible after the specific time is up, the individual may be granted parole. If they are not eligible for parole, they will be required to serve indeterminate time, if given any.  

Hoel, 24, was arrested in late March 2024 and charged with felony lewd conduct with a minor under 16 after Bonner County officials received a 911 call reporting a sex offense in Priest River. 

According to a probable cause affidavit, Hoel allegedly sexually abused at least two victims, with one of them formally pressing charges. Court documents shared that Hoel abused the victim over a four-year period, starting when she was eight years old.