Post Falls man sentenced to prison for lewd conduct with two children | Idaho

COEUR D'ALENE – According to the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office, Derek J. Thomson, 29, was convicted of LEWD with a minor under the age of sixteen. Thomson had sexual contact with two minor children between September 2018 and September 2023. The abuse occurred when the minor children were between 3 and 8 years old and between 2 and 7 years old and included manual-genital contact against the children.

Lewd conduct with a minor under the age of sixteen is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. Thomson was sentenced on June 5, 2024.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Art Verharen recommended a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. District Judge Barry McHugh sentenced Thomson to 30 years in prison with the possibility of parole after ten years.

Prosecutor Stanley T. Mortensen thanks the Post Falls Police Department for investigating the case and all those who supported the victims throughout the process. “The Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office supports victims of crime, especially children who have been abused at the hands of a trusted adult. This type of behavior is some of the worst in society, and we appreciate everyone who works to protect children.