Montana man charged after allegedly raping minor in Lava Hot Springs

LAVA HOT SPRINGS — A man constabulary opportunity raped a 14-year-old woman has been charged pinch a felony.

Joshua Everett Hancock, 38, faces 1 count of lewd behaviour pinch a insignificant nether nan property of 16, tribunal records show.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office received a referral from Idaho Health and Welfare Children and Family Services connected March 9, according to nan affidavit of probable cause. The referral said a 14-year-old woman was raped by a man deputies later identified arsenic Hancock.

The unfortunate was interviewed by a therapist astatine a kid defense halfway successful Pocatello connected March 13.

During nan interview, nan woman said nan battle happened successful December. She said she was astatine a friend’s house, playing Fortnite, erstwhile a man she identified arsenic “Josh” gave her alcohol.

Once she was drunk, nan unfortunate said Hancock offered to springiness her a thrust home, nan affidavit says.

The unfortunate recalled vomiting during nan thrust and getting immoderate connected her sweatshirt. She said Hancock removed her apparel and raped her. When he was done, nan unfortunate said, Hancock dropped her disconnected “a fewer houses down from her house.”

She said she felt “gross,” according to nan affidavit.

Following nan interview, deputies learned Hancock is simply a registered activity offender retired of Montana. The activity offender registry showed Hancock had been convicted of a activity crime successful Idaho successful 2005, nan affidavit says.

Court records show Hancock was recovered blameworthy of raping a insignificant successful 2005 and sentenced to a rider.

Deputies applied for and obtained a hunt warrant for nan victim’s compartment phone. Forensic analysts examined nan phone.

During nan search, deputies recovered a connection string, including texts messages, pictures and videos, opening nan evening of Dec. 21, nan affidavit says.

In a video sent from nan unfortunate to a friend of hers, nan unfortunate says she is drunk. In a later matter connection to nan aforesaid friend, nan unfortunate says she is getting a thrust location from Hancock.

The adjacent activity from nan victim’s telephone was a matter sent astir 1:30 p.m. connected Dec. 22. According to nan affidavit, this is accordant pinch nan connection provided by nan victim.

Deputies besides said pinch a witness, who recalled location being vomit connected nan victim’s sweatshirt erstwhile nan witnesser saw nan unfortunate connected Dec. 22.

Deputies obtained Hancock’s compartment telephone number from nan Yellowstone County, Montana Sheriff’s Office’s activity offender registry. With deputies and her begetter present, nan unfortunate was asked to telephone Hancock.

Hancock answered nan call, nan affidavit says, and confirmed that it was him. The unfortunate past said she was worried astir being pregnant. She asks if Hancock utilized a condom, to which he replied thing nan deputies could not understand, nan affidavit says.

According to nan affidavit, Hancock told nan unfortunate that he was moving successful Montana, but would “make immoderate calls” and thief nan unfortunate “figure it out.” Before hanging up, Hancock allegedly told nan victim, again, that he would thief “get it figured out.”

The affidavit does not supply specifications astir further investigation aliases nan process by which Hancock was arrested, but tribunal records show that an apprehension warrant for Hancock was issued connected March 21. The warrant was served connected May 8.

He was booked into Bannock County Jail and was released aft posting a $50,000 enslaved connected May 9.

Though Hancock has been charged pinch this crime, it does not needfully mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed guiltless until they are proven guilty.

If he is recovered guilty, Hancock would look up to life successful prison.

He is scheduled to look successful tribunal for an arraignment proceeding connected May 22.