TETONIA — Deputies arrested a 41-year-old man after a report was made alleging he had sex with a teenage girl and recorded their encounters.
Terry James Eck, 41, was charged with nine felony counts of statutory rape, one felony count of producing child pornography, one felony count of possessing child porn and two felony counts of video voyeurism.
If convicted, Eck faces a minimum sentence of one year and up to life in prison.
According to court documents, a detective with the Teton County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by hospital staff at the Idaho Falls Community Hospital over concerns of child sexual abuse.
The parents of the 16-year-old victim spoke with the detective, identifying that Eck was the abuser, and provided the man’s address.
A forensic interview of the victim was done by the Upper Valley Child Advocacy Center, in which she told them she had first met Eck through a family member of his.
The victim stated she met Eck when she visited his home for the weekend in November. She said they had sex the first day they met. She told the interviewer that Eck had given her alcohol, and she was drunk.
The victim reported that Eck had told her to sleep in her bed and he’d sleep on the couch, but later went to bed with the victim. She said the two later had sex.
The document states the victim would spend every other weekend at Eck’s home from November until April. She reported at each visit, the two would have sex and that the man had recorded the encounters.
The victim told the interviewer that she had informed Eck on the first day they met of her age.
A search warrant for Eck’s residence and devices was executed on April 7, and the man’s phone and a few other items were seized.
The man was interviewed and denied having sex with the victim.
Eck provided the detective with his phone’s passcode, and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office assisted in extracting the data from the phone.
On Eck’s phone, there were six videos created on March 8 that showed the victim having sex with Eck, who was identified by the smartwatch he wore, which was seen in the video, and the location data in the videos.
The document states that during the search of the man’s phone, two videos were also found of Eck’s underage family member getting undressed to take a bath.
The detective reported that the videos were shaky, and the sounds of branches breaking were heard. During the surveillance of Eck’s home, trees and bushes surrounded the property.
Eck is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Jason Walker on June 18 at 1:30 p.m. for a preliminary hearing.
Though Eck has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
