Idaho evangelical church member, Joshua Ash, has been sentenced to up to 8 yrs in prison for grooming & raping a 15 yr old girl he met through his church’s faith-based drug and alcohol program.
His probation officer found his survivor hidden in a closet in his home. Ash agreed to meet with police at his home after an evening church service, court documents said, but officers found him in the church parking lot instead. When questioned about his relationship with the teen, Ash maintained that they were friends.
Police arrested Ash in the parking lot. He initially faced charges of rape and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16, both felonies. Prosecutors agreed to amend the charges to lesser offenses in exchange for Ash’s guilty plea.
The charges stem from January, when a probation officer searching Ash’s residence discovered a 15-year-old girl hiding in his bedroom closet.
Displayed in the bedroom was a collage of photos featuring Ash and the teen, police said. She told investigators that she had known Ash for about two years and they had a sexual relationship.
Ash said he’s ashamed of his actions. He apologized in court to the teen and her family.
“I caused a lot of harm,” he said. “My heart grieves because of it.”
Before handing down the sentence, Wayman emphasized that a 15-year-old cannot consent to a sexual relationship with an adult and noted that Ash knew the girl’s age.
“There needs to be a line that adults should not cross,” Wayman said. “You took advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable.”
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