Man going to prison for lewd conduct with 12-year-old

IDAHO FALLS – A 22-year-old man will be spending time in prison after he was sentenced for having sexual conduct with a 12-year-old.

District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. sentenced Denilson Jared Diaz Garcia to two to 12 years in prison.

He must also register as a sex offender and complete a sex offender treatment course. Diaz Garcia will receive credit for approximately 194 days of time already served before his sentencing.

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Diaz Garcia initially pleaded not guilty to one count of felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 but signed a plea agreement in December, in which he agreed to plead guilty to the charge, and the prosecution agreed to recommend a sentence of a minimum of three years in prison.

The prosecution was free to argue for the maximum time he would serve.

Background

Court records show Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home around 5:20 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2022, after reports of a disturbance.

Deputies say a man, later identified as Diaz Garcia, was “caught having sex with a 12-year-old female.”

When deputies arrived, Diaz Garcia was reportedly inside a trailer. Officers questioned him.

During the interview with investigators, Diaz Garcia allegedly admitted to having sex with the victim in his house that morning. He said the reporting party walked in after they were done.

Deputies learned the reporting party had been looking for the victim and found her asleep in Diaz Garcia’s home on the couch.

Diaz Garcia was then taken to the Bonneville County Jail for an interview with another detective, where he again admitted to having sex with the 12-year-old victim.