The Blackfoot A Shelley man was found guilty by a jury of engaging in indecent behavior with a kid.
After a two-day trial, 35-year-old Steven Hardee was found guilty on two charges of indecent conduct with a child under the age of sixteen on Thursday.
Hardee was accused in April 2024 after Bingham County Sheriff’s officers claimed he had participated in continuous indecent behavior with a juvenile child while the victim was around 10 years old, according to a news release from Bingham County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Oliver Wimbish.
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According to court filings, a deputy was made aware of a child sexual battery case the month before.
Court filings state that the reporting party knocked on their home’s locked bedroom door.
The reporting party discovered a 10-year-old girl on a bed with her pants around her ankles when Hardee unlocked it.
She dialed 911 when Hardee left the bedroom. The victim remained silent when she questioned the girl about what had transpired. According to reports, the woman nodded in agreement when the woman inquired if Hardee had done anything sexual to her.
When Hardee was confronted by the woman, he denied sexually assaulting the victim but acknowledged that it had happened a few times.
Then he said the sexual contact was started by the 10-year-old.
Hardee claimed to be stroking the victim’s legs and watching TV with her when deputies arrived shortly after and questioned him.
He asserted that the victim simply removed her pants when asked why she was not wearing them.
The victim underwent a pediatric forensic medical examination on March 18 at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center in Idaho Falls. She allegedly claimed to have been raped during the appointment.
The sentencing hearing for Hardee is set for September 29. He might be subject to obligatory registration as a sex offender, a $50,000 fine, and two possible life sentences.
Oliver Wimbish, the chief deputy prosecutor for Bingham County, said, “I would like to thank Deputy Braxton Smith, Deputy Mary Munoff, Detective Shade Rosenkrance, and Logan Campbell for their excellent police work in providing strong and admissible evidence.” Susan Nalley and Jodi Allen, the Witness Coordinators, for their outstanding efforts in helping the victim get through this protracted and challenging procedure. I would like to thank Bingham County Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Hart for his assistance behind the scenes with research and trial preparation, and Bingham County Prosecutor Ryan Jolley for serving as my second chair and helping me during the trial.
