NAMPA -  Brenda is a survivor of domestic violence and a volunteer with the Women's & Children's Alliance.  She says she wasn't going to remain silent about her past because she says if she could help one person get away from an abusive relationship it would be worth it. Brenda says the hardest part of being in an abusive relationship is knowing you have to get out. "The biggest thing is control. You better not go up against them like that. When you try to leave, that's your most dangerous time. That's usually when death or a severe injury can happen," Brenda said. She says she has been hurt by domestic violence from two separate marriages. "There was definitely violence, a lot of verbal abuse, there was sexual abuse, my children were hit at times as well," she said. Brenda says it wasn't until she asked for help from FACES Family Justice Center and the Women and Children's Alliance that she realized she was the victim of domestic violence. She says that domestic violence happens a lot more than most people realize. She says most people see it with their neighbors and family but tend to ignore it and not get involved. "It's not just people that you think are bad people. It's people like your pharmacist or your doctor or your lawyer. It's not just low income people -- it's everybody," Brenda said. Brenda says she and her five kids at one time faced being homeless. But she got help and now they are at peace and happy it's all behind them. Brenda says that women who are in an abusive relationship may have been abused themselves as children. She said she thought domestic violence was a normal life until she got help. Women's & Children's Alliance DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRISIS HOTLINE: 208.343.7025 Faces Family Justice Center Crisis Line at (208) 343-7025

http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Survivor-says-leaving-domestic-violence-is-h-271952881.html?tab=video&c=y 

Former Nampa Police Chief Wants New Criminal Registry for Violence Offenders

NAMPA - Curtis Homer believes that Idahoans should have a quick and easy way to determine whether a person in their community has a violent criminal past. Homer, who served as Nampa's police chief from 2002 to 2007, would like to see something similar to the state's sex offender registry - which allows the public online access to a sex offender's criminal background and home addresses - created for those convicted of other violent crimes. Idaho's sex offender registry was launched in 1993. "If they're a violent felon and running around out there, why shouldn't we know if they're living in the neighborhood?" Homer said. He said he plans to work with Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, Nampa police Chief Craig Kingsbury and others on a proposal for a registry that can be presented to state lawmakers. States such as Indiana, Oklahoma, Illinois, Montana and Kansas have offender databases that include violent offenders other than those convicted of sex crimes.

 Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/08/27/3343216/ex-police-chief-wants-to-see-new.html?sp=/99/101/102/1441/#storylink=cpy

NAMPA - Michael Russo, sentenced to life with no chance of parole for raping a Nampa woman five years ago, lost his appeal to Idaho's highest court but aims to try again. On Thursday, the State Appellate Public Defender's Office filed a petition for rehearing by the Idaho Supreme Court, which rejected the 38-year-old's appeal on July 31. Russo's attorney, appellate unit chief Erik Lehtinen, said the arguments for rehearing will be filed as a separate brief, probably within the next two weeks. A Canyon County jury found Russo guilty of burglary, kidnapping and rape for attacking a Nampa woman at knife point before dawn Aug. 27, 2009. Among the evidence against him was a short video, reportedly giving a close-up view of the rape, that was discovered on a cell phone taken from Russo's pocket when he was arrested outside his Meridian home later that day. Russo's appeal challenged the admissibility of that evidence and argued that the district court abused its discretion by admitting evidence about Russo's rape fantasies and pornography depicting rape.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/08/21/3335698/convicted-nampa-rapist-seeks-another.html?sp=/99/101/102/1441/

TWIN FALLS - A Twin Falls man who pleaded guilty to repeatedly raping a teenage girl will serve at least seven years in state prison. Shawn Levi Elwood, 38, got seven years determinate, seven indeterminate, plus restitution and court costs when he was sentenced Tuesday. Elwood pleaded guilty to lewd conduct with a minor under 16. The girl, who was 13 at the time, said in court a year ago that Elwood raped her about 20 times between summer 2012 and spring 2013. The crimes came to light when her father discovered inappropriate texts between the two on his daughter's cell phone, said Suzanne Craig, Twin Falls County deputy prosecutor. Because of the plea deal, Elwood's sentence was never in doubt Tuesday. In her remarks before sentencing, Craig talked about Elwood's extensive criminal history, including an armed burglary in California and thefts in Washington dating to when he was a juvenile, and a record of fights while incarcerated. She also said his psychosexual evaluation for the pre-sentencing report shows a high risk of sexual reoffense.
 

Read more: http://magicvalley.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/twin-falls-man-gets-to-years-for-raping--year/article_e4d0c338-224b-11e4-bcda-0019bb2963f4.html

NAMPA/MELBA - Alfredo M. Martinez, who reportedly admitted to police Aug. 19 that he killed his girlfriend in the Nampa home they shared, was formally charged with her murder Thursday afternoon. Martinez, 38, has been held without bond on a parole violation while prosecutors decided what exactly to charge him with. Their decision: second-degree murder, destroying evidence and failure to notify authorities of a death. Bond was set at $5 million. The body of Selena Thomas was found in a makeshift grave in a cornfield near Melba last week. Her cause of death was blunt-force trauma, and police said Martinez told them he hit her with a hammer and she hit her head on a dresser. Court documents show that statements from Martinez and three men he said helped him led investigators to the grave site. Thomas was last seen Friday, Aug. 15, and was reported missing Monday. Investigators quickly identified Martinez as the primary suspect. Nampa police are still following up on leads in the case, and no further charges are expected, police said.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/08/28/3346361/after-9-days-in-custody-martinez.html?sp=/99/101/102/1441/#storylink=cpy

NAMPA - Kenneth O'Brien, 20, of Nampa is in the Canyon County Jail on a felony charge of criminal solicitation after police say he offered to pay someone to kill his former girlfriend. Nampa police arrested O'Brien Saturday and announced the arrest on Tuesday. Police had been alerted to the solicitation by a person who said he had been approached by O'Brien over the past two weeks. According to that person, O'Brien offered up money, the ex-girlfriend's location and a weapon, police sad. The NPD did not disclose details of the weapon or the amount offered. The weapon was later recovered at O'Brien's residence, police said. O'Brien remained in the Canyon County jail Tuesday evening.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/08/26/3342871/nampa-man-accused-of-soliciting.html?sp=/99/101/102/1441/

BOISE - A 21-year-old Boise man faces a felony sex-crime charge, accused of sexually assaulting an acquaintance with a foreign object. Clayton R. Howell is charged with forcible sexual penetration by use of a foreign object. He was booked into the Ada County Jail Thursday on a warrant that was issued June 18 after investigation by Ada County prosecutors. The incident Howell is charged with reportedly happened June 7 and was reported to Boise police on June 8. Police declined to release the victim's age, gender or any other information that could indicate the victim's identity but said the suspect and victim knew each other. Bond for Howell is set at $50,000, and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Aug. 29.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/08/08/3316582/boise-man-accused-of-sex-crime.html?sp=/99/101/102/1441/#storylink=cpy

BOISE - Roderich Hugh Aaron, 32, was arrested June 26 at a hotel near the Boise Airport after police were notified that prostitution was taking place there. Aaron was initially charged by the Boise Police Department with human trafficking, interstate trafficking and prostitution, procurement of prostitution and detention for prostitution. The Ada County Prosecuting Attorney's Office later dropped those counts and charged Aaron with receiving pay for procurement of prostitution and two counts of procurement of prostitution. On Wednesday, Aaron pleaded guilty to the receiving pay charge. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the other two charges. With the deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend that Aaron serve up to five years in prison, with a two-year minimum. None of the women who were with Aaron were charged with crimes. Boise Police Department officials said they viewed the women as victims. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10 before Fourth District Judge Patrick Owen.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/08/07/3314339/las-vegas-man-pleads-guilty-to.html?sp=/99/101/102/1441/#storylink=cpy

Shoshone Man Pleads Not Guilty for Federal Child Porn Charges

LINCOLN COUNTY - A Lincoln County man charged in federal court with abusing a young girl has pleaded not guilty. William Roger Wilkinson, 53, was indicted Aug. 12 by a federal grand jury for two counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography in interstate commerce. Wilkinson made the plea at an initial appearance in federal court in Boise Thursday. A trial is scheduled for Nov. 4. Wilkinson coerced the girl into taking part in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce child pornography, federal prosecutors said. He also had child pornography on his computer from 11 known pornography series, they said. In 2013, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office began investigating Wilkinson on suspicion of sexual abuse of the girl. She told police Wilkinson touched her inappropriately at his Shoshone home in 2012. If convicted, Wilkinson's combined charges are punishable by up to 90 years in prison, a maximum fine of $750,000, and at least five years, but up to lifetime of supervised release.

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/shoshone-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-federal-child-porn-charges/article_ebcc3eac-2eed-11e4-a0f5-0019bb2963f4.html

PAUL - A Paul man was arrested, accused of pushing his way into a pregnant woman's house and assaulting her. Sammy Leon Herrera Jr., 34, allegedly knocked on her door Friday and, when she answered with a toddler at her feet, he pushed his way inside and forced her into a bedroom, where he started fondling her. Herrera is charged with felony aggravated battery, battery with the intent to commit a serious felony, burglary and misdemeanor injury to a child. He is at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center on a $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in Minidoka County Magistrate Court.

Read more: http://magicvalley.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-arrested-after-pushing-into-home-assaulting-pregnant-woman-police/article_9edd4aae-2d77-11e4-af76-0019bb2963f4.html

Man Charged with Solicitation

SANDPOINT - A trial is pending for a Bonner County man accused of soliciting a sex act from a pizza delivery driver in Sandpoint earlier this summer. Dean Francis Hapenney is accused of propositioning the 20-year-old male delivery driver at a Sandpoint hotel on June 14. He's further charged with indecent exposure. Hapenney, 61, denied the allegations when he was questioned by a Sandpoint Police officer, court records show. He is pleading not guilty, clearing the way for a jury trial on Sept. 11 in Bonner County Magistrate Court. The delivery driver told police he delivered a pizza to a room at the LaQuinta Inn and was greeted at the door by Hapenney, who asked him to come inside the room. The driver said it was against company policy to enter a residence and noticed that the man was naked when he went to retrieve money to pay for the pizza, the police report said. The driver told police that Hapenney asked if would like to make an $20 by performing oral sex on him, the report said. When the driver declined, Hapenney began touching his own genitals, according to the report. The driver left and alerted police. Hotel staff advised that Hapenney appeared intoxicated and used a phone in the lobby to order the pizza while only wearing his undergarments, the report said.

http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_40c14609-ff5d-501b-8577-f9edc074510b.html