Man charged after woman reports he raped her in his basement

IDAHO FALLS — A 21-year-old man was arrested Thursday for an alleged rape that happened in a basement almost three years ago.

Shawn David Koontz is charged with felony rape and felony battery with the intent to commit a serious felony.

According to court documents, an Idaho Falls Police officer responded to Idaho Falls Community Hospital on Sept. 17, 2022, after a report of a sexual assault. When officers arrived, the victim stated she had just been raped in the basement of a home in Idaho Falls.

According to the victim, she had gone to a friend’s home, identified as Koontz, around 2 or 3 a.m. that day.

She stated around 7:30 a.m., she and Koontz were sitting on a couch in the basement. She told police she was “down there to make sure he was okay because he was pretty drunk.”

The victim says Koontz asked her to sit next to him and then “grabbed her by the arm/shoulder area and told her to come cuddle with him.” She stated that she “pulled back a little but ultimately leaned in a(nd) cuddled with (Koontz).”

She stated that she was playing with her phone when Koontz began touching her hips, and she told him to “just go to sleep.”

Koontz then allegedly “wrapped his arm around (the victim) and bit (her) neck really hard” before putting his hand around her throat. The victim says she asked Koontz to stop multiple times, and he did not.

She told police she was scared because “I’ve seen how (Koontz) gets when he doesn’t get his way and how aggressive he gets.” The victim says she was then raped by Koontz, and was unable to breathe at points due to him putting his hand over her nose and mouth.

She told officers her “head was tingling, and she thought she could pass out.”

At one point during the assault, the victim says two of Koontz’s friends came downstairs, saw what was happening, and “turned on the light, and went over to (Koontz) and gave him high fives” before going back upstairs.

After the alleged rape, the victim says she went into the bathroom and took photos of herself. Police say in the pictures, the victim has “tears and snot on her face.” She also texted a friend to “text her a lot to make it seem like she had to leave due to an emergency.”

Koontz then reportedly came into the bathroom and said that he was “sorry that he hurt her” and made the victim “promise him that she was not mad at him.”

She then left the home after her friend reportedly sent her fake texts that they were in a car accident and asked the victim to help.

She told police she got in her car and parked by Idaho Falls High School, where she called her friend and “was trying to figure out what just happened.” The victim then drove to a relative’s house, who brought her to the hospital.

In the hospital, the victim showed officers a “large mark on her neck where (Koontz) had bit her.” Officers say there were also “small red dots on the right side of (the victim’s) throat,” which they say could be from Koontz holding and pushing on her throat.

A SANE exam was then done for the victim, and officers downloaded the content from her phone for evidence. While in the hospital, Koontz reportedly texted her, “You okay”.

Officers then went to the home where the assault reportedly occurred. Police reports say they spoke to a man and woman at the house who said the victim had been in the basement with Koontz early that morning.

According to the woman, the victim was “acting weird” and stated that her friend had been in an accident before leaving.

The man told police that he had walked in on Koontz and the victim having sex but said it “didn’t appear to him that anybody was doing anything they didn’t want to do.” He then reportedly said, “If (Koontz) had raped or assaulted (the victim, he would kick his a** himself.”

Koontz then called the man, who reportedly told him he “better talk with police and get things straightened out.” Koontz then agreed to meet with police at the Law Enforcement Building.

During the interview, Koontz claimed that he and the victim were watching TV, and “at some point, they were cuddling and then began making out” before having sex. Koontz stated the sex was consensual, and then the victim left.

When pressed by the officer for more details, Koontz stated he did not want to go into detail because “it was a personal, and he wasn’t going to talk about it.” He then asked for a lawyer, and the interview ended.

Police reports say the officer told Koontz that they were seizing his cell phone for evidence, but Koontz refused to hand over his phone, saying he would “bring it in a few days later after he consulted an attorney.”

The officer stated he would obtain a search warrant to preserve the evidence on the phone, and Koontz “reluctantly” handed over his phone.

According to police reports, the video of Koontz’s interview with the officer was corrupted, and the city of Idaho Falls IT could only recover the first few seconds of the video when the officer headed outside to meet Koontz.

Later that day, patrol units contacted Koontz outside the Law Enforcement Building, as he had allegedly “returned and was demanding his phone be returned.” Patrol units reportedly reminded Koontz that “his phone had been seized pending a search warrant” and told him to have his attorney contact the officer.

During a search of the victim’s phone, he confirmed she was at the home where the rape allegedly occurred for short periods throughout the morning but arrived there for the last time at 5:03 a.m. before leaving at 9:15 a.m.

Several days later, Koontz’s attorney, Curtis Smith, contacted the officer and stated that Koontz was willing to cooperate.

The officer asked for the PIN to his phone, and Koontz reportedly declined to give it to them. Police reports say they could “obtain a very limited extraction data containing very little information” on the phone.

On Jan. 27, 2023, officers obtained the results of the victim’s SANE exam, which reportedly showed low and no levels of male DNA. The samples were sent for further testing, and on April 4, 2023, the results returned, allegedly showing the DNA of the victim and an “unknown male.”

The officer then asked Smith if Koontz would be willing to provide a DNA sample.

According to police reports, the officer did not hear back for “several weeks” and eventually learned that the attorney was “no longer able to contact (Koontz) and didn’t know where he was.”

The officer then spoke to the victim, who stated she learned from friends that Koontz had moved to Kentucky shortly after the investigation began.

Court documents do not include if he was extradited from Kentucky or returned on his own accord. A warrant was issued for Koontz’ arrest on Feb. 7, and he was arrested on Thursday. He was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on a $350,000 bond, and a no-contact order was issued the victim.

He is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 26. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

Though Koontz has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.