Man who sexually abused 9-year-old to serve rider
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IDAHO FALLS — A man who confessed to sexually abusing a 9-year-old relative has been sentenced to a rider.
Findlay Jenkins, 68, was sentenced Monday to four years fixed and 16 years indeterminate pending the outcome of a one year rider where he will undergo sex-offender treatment. After the year is up, the judge will determine if Jenkins will be placed on probation or be sent to prison. He is also facing the threat of deportation.
Shortly after being arrested in December 2017, Jenkins gave a full confession about the things he had done to the victim.
“Were that confession not to happen, this case takes on a much different look — a much different tone — whether it was chargeable,” Bonneville County Prosecutor Daniel Clark said during the sentencing hearing. “Those are all questions we would have had to wrestle with.”
District Judge Dane Watkins said it was likely the case against Jenkins would not have gone forward based on the lack of corroborating evidence had he not confessed.
“You can do what you like with me,” Jenkins said during sentencing. “I’ve just been disgusted with myself.”
Jenkins is a 21-year legal resident of the United States; however, he is a citizen of New Zealand. Having committed a felony, both the prosecution and defense said it is likely he will be deported after incarceration.
Man charged with sexual abuse after police say he inappropriately touched 9-year-old girl
According to court documents, the victim told her mother Jenkins touched her in her private areas under her clothing five or six times. She said he would stop when she told him to but he told her not to tell anyone what happened.
The victim told police the last incident occurred when she and Jenkins were watching a movie together and he touched under her underwear. She told him to stop, which he did. It was after that she told her mother about where Jenkins had been “tickling” her.
During sentencing, Clark said Jenkins admitted to taking the victim on car rides and allowing her to stand and stick her head out the sunroof. When she did that he would run his hand up her leg and touch her private area.
Jenkins told police he has considered suicide but said he is too afraid to do it and he “believes he needs to face whatever punishment that God wants to give him.” He said what he did to the victim was the worst thing he has ever done.
Clark said the victim was strong to be able to tell Jenkins to stop and then to go and tell her parents what he did. Clark also said the victim is doing well as she undergoes counseling.