Man charged with two counts of lewd conduct

BONNERS FERRY — A Boundary County man is being charged with two counts of lewd conduct in a case dating back to January 2019.

Josyiah N. Skinner, 30, is being charged with two counts of lewd conduct with children under 16.

On Jan. 15, 2019, Boundary County Sheriff's Officers responded to a welfare check at a Boundary County elementary school.

In an affidavit dated Oct. 28, 2021, Officer Jason Trujillo of Bonners Ferry Police Department wrote that the alleged victim shared information during “circle time.” The alleged victim was reluctant to participate in class discussion on “what do you do when you get scared?”

The child said they do not reach out to adults like other children said because “[NAME] puts his peepee in my mouth and it hurts,” the affidavit reads.

After the incident, a school counselor talked to the child and an older sibling. The youth again repeated the comment.

The affidavit states that the sibling hushed the child and said “we aren’t supposed to talk about that.”

The older sibling later said Skinner had done this to them as well, according to the affidavit.

A social worker with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare was contacted and arrived on scene. Officers found that the children would be in “imminent danger of continued abuse” and placed with a family member pending forensic interviews.

Skinner has pleaded not guilty and has requested a bench trial before District Judge Barbara Buchanan. The trial is scheduled for July 27-29.

Skinner was charged with one count of lewd conduct with a child under 16 in 2019. The case was dismissed.

Under Title 18 of Idaho Code a person found guilty of lewd acts upon or with the body of a minor shall be guilty of a felony and shall not serve a sentence longer than life.