Summary
Rene Rodriguez was a Mormon church member and member of the elders quorum presidency who was accused of sexually abusing a child in 2005-2014 in Jerome County, Twin Falls County, Lincoln County, Blaine County Idaho. Rodriguez was convicted of all charges in a trial in 4/05/2019 and was sentenced 14-28 years in prison.
In 10/09/2019 Rodriguez was charged with sexual abuse of a minor for an alleged incident in 1998 and was acquitted on those charges.
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Charges
Rodriguez, Rene
Description Statute Level Date
1 Child Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 16 Years of Age I18-1506 Felony 08/12/2005
2 Children-Lewd Conduct with Child Under 16 I18-1508 Felony 08/12/2007: GUILTY
3 Children-Lewd Conduct with Child Under 16 I18-1508 Felony 08/12/2008: GUILTY
4 Children-Lewd Conduct with Child Under 16 I18-1508 Felony 08/12/2009: GUILTY
5 Children-Lewd Conduct with Child Under 16 I18-1508 Felony 08/12/2009: GUILTY
6 Rape-Victim is 16 or 17 YOA and Perpetrator is 3 years or More Older Than the Victim I18-6101(2) Felony 04/05/2014 : GUILTY
7 Rape-Victim is 16 or 17 YOA and Perpetrator is 3 years or More Older Than the Victim I18-6101(2) Felony 08/12/2013 : GUILTY
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Case Information
CR42-19-10073 | State of Idaho Plaintiff, vs. Rene Rodriguez Defendant.
Rodriguez, Rene
Description Statute Level Date
Child Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 16 Years of Age I18-1506 Felony 01/01/1998: Acquittal
Facts
- Criminal: Convicted, guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Elders quorum,
- During crime: Elders quorum,
- Crime: 2000s, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010s, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, in Blaine County Idaho, Idaho, Jerome County, Lincoln County, Twin Falls County,
- Convicted: 2020, 2020s,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Victim's home,
- Victims: 1 victim,
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Born: 1982
- Mission: unknown
- Locations: Blaine County Idaho, Idaho, Jerome County, Lincoln County, Twin Falls County,
Sources
- Former sheriff sentenced to minimum of 14 years in prison,
- Former Lincoln County sheriff convicted of rape, sex abuse,
- Lincoln County sheriff resigns after being charged with rape and lewd conduct,
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1. Former sheriff sentenced to minimum of 14 years in prison
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2. Former Lincoln County sheriff convicted of rape, sex abuse
A jury has convicted the former sheriff of Lincoln County of sexually abusing an underage girl over the course of nearly a decade.
Credit: Blaine County Sheriff's Office
Lincoln County Sheriff Rene Rodriguez was arrested on rape charges on Friday afternoon.
Author: KTVB Staff
Published: 12:40 PM MST December 10, 2019
Updated: 12:40 PM MST December 10, 2019
FacebookBLAINE COUNTY, Idaho — A jury has convicted the former sheriff of Lincoln County of sexually abusing an underage girl over the course of nearly a decade.
Rene Rodriguez, 41, was found guilty Nov. 22 of four counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16, one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and one count of rape.
According to court documents, the abuse began when the victim was 9, and continued until she was 17 years old.
RELATED: Few qualifications are required to be elected sheriff in Idaho
Rodriguez was arrested by Idaho State Police in April, and resigned from his position as sheriff days later. He was convicted of the charges after a four-day trial in Blaine County.
The former sheriff faces up to life in prison at his March 20 sentencing.
Rodriguez is also accused of molesting a different girl in Twin Falls County in 1998, when the child was 4 years old. He is charged with sexual abuse of a minor in that case, and is set for trial March 3.
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3. Lincoln County sheriff resigns after being charged with rape and lewd conduct
SHOSHONE, Idaho — Lincoln County Sheriff Rene Rodriguez resigned on Monday afternoon after being charged with rape, sexual abuse of a child under 16, and lewd conduct.
Rodriguez, 40, of Shoshone, was arrested on Friday by Idaho State Police and booked into the Blaine County Jail.
Lincoln County Commissioner Rebecca Wood says the county commissioners received his letter of resignation during a special commission meeting. They planned one deciding what their next would be on how to handle Rodriguez's charges during the meeting.
MORE: Lincoln County sheriff arrested on rape and lewd conduct charges
While the meeting was going on, Rodriguez made his first appearance in the Blaine County Courthouse. He was charged with seven felonies, spanning from 2005 to 2014, in four different counties.
The charges include one count of sexual abuse of a child in Jerome County, four counts of lewd conduct with a child in Twin Falls and Blaine counties and two counts of rape in Lincoln and Blaine counties.
His attorney, Michael Wood, wanted to make an argument to lower the bond but that was denied by the judge.
"The bond was set by a district judge who had a full consideration of the facts in this matter bond was set in the amount of 500,000 and this court will confirm that setting," Judge Jennifer Haemmerle said.
If convicted, Rodriguez will have to register as a sex offender and faces up to life in prison for each rape and lewd conduct charge and up to 25 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a child charge.
He is due in court next Monday and scheduled to appear in front of a district judge.
Commissioner Wood says a committee has 15 days to present three qualified candidates to fill the county sheriff position.
"We will do our best to see to it that we have another acting sheriff in place in a very timely manner and we will try to put our best foot forward and we will try and make sure that the future goes better for us in Lincoln County," she said.
Documents
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Criminal case documents
FLOODLIT does not have a copy of a related probable cause affidavit. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Civil case documents
We do not know of any related civil cases, so no related civil case documents exist. If you have information that suggests otherwise, please contact us.
