Man who admitted to abusing young girls gets a rider

REXBURG — A man who said he sexually victimized two young girls was given a rider because the judge felt he could be rehabilitated.

Garon Cordell Miskin,,44, was sent on a rider program with an underlying sentence of three and a half years fixed with six and a half indeterminate. Miskin entered an Alford plea — admitting a jury would likely find him guilty while still denying the allegations — to two felony charges of injury to a child as part of a plea agreement.

He was originally charged with two felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor and one felony count of sexual abuse of a minor. The lewd conduct charges were reduced and the sexual abuse charge was dismissed as part of the agreement.

“I hope to see (Miskin) sooner rather than later (after) having completed the programming,” District Judge Dane Watkins said during the hearing.

Watkins said he expects Miskin will complete the rider program sooner than the one year of local jail time he considered giving him.

A rider program consists of six months to one year of treatment in the state prison. Once a felon completes the program they go before the judge again. At that time, the judge decides whether to release the felon and put them on probation or send them to prison to complete their sentence.

Miskin will not have to register as a sex offender because injury to a child is not a sex crime.

As well as reducing the charges, the plea agreement stipulated that both the prosecution and the defense would recommend probation.

Special prosecutor John Dewey said a plea agreement was made because although the charges against Miskin were filed in 2017, the allegations were from 2008. He said it was difficult to find any corroborative evidence to use against Miskin.

However, Dewey said Miskin admitted to sexually abusing the girls and called them his victims during a psychosexual evaluation and polygraph test.

RELATED: Judge orders Miskin to undergo psychosexual evaluation

Miskin, however, maintains he did not abuse the girls in the specific way they accused him of abusing them.

“Mr. Miskin has never acknowledged — does he now, nor will he ever — acknowledge the specific allegations set forth in the complaint filed against him,” defense attorney Stephen Hart said.

Hart said that was the reason for the Alford plea.

Despite the recommendation, Watkins chose to issue a stiffer sentence in place of probation. Watkins said there is a possibility Miskin could end up serving the maximum 10-year sentence for felony injury to a child.

The victims said Miskin stuck his hand down their shirts and flicked their breasts. They said he would slap them on their bottoms, and one of the victims said she saw him trying to video her while she was changing in her room.

RELATED: Prosecutors seek probation for Rexburg man accused of abusing girls

Miskin was previously convicted in 2008 of misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor unlawful entry. Miskin entered the apartment of a young woman in Rexburg without her permission and touched her leg while she was sleeping.

He was given a withheld judgment and ordered to undergo sex-offender treatment in that case, although he did not register as a sex offender then either.

“I recognize that I need to work to improve,” Miskin said. “I would ask the court for the opportunity to have the best chance at success by being able to work and contribute more than I take from society and do that by being on probation.”

Miskin’s statements were delivered stoically and with a level tone. He did not acknowledge any responsibility towards the victims who were both in the courtroom.

“While I’m aware you have no remorse for what you have done, I want you to know, I forgive you,” one of Miskin’s victims said through sobs.

The Bikers Against Child Abuse organization attended the sentencing. They blocked the victims from Miskin’s view before and after sentencing.

Miskin was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine for each charge and undergo sex-offender treatment while on the rider program.