Blumenaur charged with 4 counts of lewd acts, community shocked

BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry Police Department issued a criminal complaint on Jan. 12 against William Austin Blumenauer, alleging he did willfully and lewdly commit lascivious acts with the body of a minor under the age of 16.

In the past week, community members have responded in shock to the allegations.

The complaint, issued by assistant chief Marty Ryan, states, “Defendant having oral-genital contact with the minor” and “with the intent to gratify, arouse, and/or appeal to the lust, passion and/or sexual desire of the defendant.”

The record explains that the violation is Idaho Code Section 18-1508, a felony; if found to be guilty of a felony, then shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term of not more than life.

According to the court documents, four counts of lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16, with ages ranging from 5-to-13-years-old.

The lewd conduct counts occurred from 2012 to 2019 with different ages, suggesting there may have been more than one victim.

According to his Facebook profile, Blumenauer is a Radiologic Technologist for the Boundary Hospital, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1992 to 1996 and in the U.S. Army from 1996 to 2000.

During the 2020 primary elections, Blumenauer ran for a committeeman position for the Bonners Ferry/Kootenai precinct. He has previous involvement with Cub Scouts and a former football coach for middle school-aged kids.

A bond has been set at $1 million, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 22 at 1:30 p.m. with Judicial officer Justin W. Julian presiding over the hearing.

A representative from the Bonners Ferry fifth and sixth-grade football program, Manny Figueroa, spoke out in disgust about the allegations against Blumenauer.

“As the person having oversight of the Bonners Ferry fifth and sixth-grade football program, I am shocked and disgusted to learn of the allegations against volunteer coach Bill Blumenauer,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa made it clear to the community that the safety of players has and always will be paramount.

The Fifth and Sixth-grade program is a private club not affiliated with the Boundary County School District. The sole purpose is to introduce the youth to the sport’s fundamentals, giving them guidance and experience on the field.

According to Figueroa, background checks are not conducted on volunteer coaches, but many coaches have children participating in the sport.

“While background checks are not currently conducted, it would have not changed or brought knowledge to this criminal allegation,” Figueroa said.

Practices usually happen behind the middle school at the football fields, where other sports are playing.

“There are usually three to five coaches present on the field at all times. Both the Boundary County Middle School and Bonners Ferry High School teams all practice in the same area at the same time.” Figueroa said.

Figueroa addressed many of the concerns parents might have after the recent knowledge of Blumenauer’s alleged accusations, reassuring parents that there are many watchful eyes on the children making sure everything is safe.

“While we are a team of coaches, we are also parents ourselves and always have the safety and well-being of our team as a priority,” Figueroa stated.

In a final statement, Figueroa explained his shock at the allegations, “We are all stunned by the allegations. None of us ever witnessed any sign of abuse or had any indication that it had occurred.”

Figueroa believes that no illegal activity occurred during the time frame Blumenauer was involved with the football team but wants those parents and victims to speak out and inform the police if anything did happen.

“We strongly encourage parents to speak to their children about these allegations and if they suspect any abuse or have concerns, they contact the Bonners Ferry Police Department at (208) 267-2412.”