Registered sex offender accused of exposing himself to 12-year-old girl

POCATELLO — A registered sex offender with a history of indecent exposure is now accused of exposing himself to a child.

Bryan Westling Yowell, 56, was cited on Wednesday for misdemeanor indecent exposure. Yowell has a history of exposing himself to people, which is the crime that landed him on the sex offender registry in 2007.

Under Idaho law, since it has been more than five years since Yowell’s last indecent exposure conviction, he is charged with a misdemeanor.

Pocatello Police Lt. John Walker said that around 9 p.m. on Sept. 6, a 12-year-old girl reported Yowell dropped his pants and exposed himself while he walked his dogs. Walker said this happened on the 1000 block of Wyeth Street – close to the victim’s home.

“It’s devastating,” the victim’s grandmother told EastIdahoNews.com. “There has to be some kind of consequence for him besides a misdemeanor.”

The first time Yowell exposed himself was in 1998. He was placed on two years of probation after being convicted of misdemeanor indecent exposure.

Then, in 2004, court records indicate Yowell was charged with three separate counts of misdemeanor indecent exposure. Two of the charges were dismissed and on the third, he was placed on two years of probation.

Three years later, in 2007, Yowell was charged with felony indecent exposure. The Idaho State Journal reported that police were called to a naked man fondling himself near the area of 11th Avenue and Hayden Street. Officers found Jesen trying to pull up his pants inside a car.

According to court records, District Judge Stephen Dunn placed Yowell on a rider with an underlying two to 10-year prison sentence. A rider program is when a judge sends a defendant to an Idaho Department of Correction facility for intensive treatment for up to 365 days. The judge then decides to send the person back to prison or place them on probation.

Dunn determined that Yowell successfully completed the rider program and placed him on eight years of probation.

Yowell’s troubles with indecent exposure did not end there. In 2011, a probation violation was filed against Yowell. The Journal reports that a truck driver reported seeing Yowell exposing himself and masturbating while driving.

Dunn then ordered Yowell back into a rider program. He was released on probation in 2012.

Another probation violation was filed in 2016 from three incidents in 2015 when Yowell exposed himself to an adult man delivering papers in Pocatello, according to the Journal. The paper reports that Yowell was walking his dogs across the street and also fondling himself during the encounter.

Yowell was never charged for these incidents, rather the probation violations were the only ramifications.

Court records show Yowell admitted to the probation violation and he was then released from probation in September 2018.

“He’s gotten off a lot of things,” the victim’s grandmother said. “If he would’ve been charged in 2015, this would’ve been a felony. I don’t understand why he keeps getting off.”

Yowell is expected to enter a plea on the new charge at his arrangement on Sept. 29 at the Bannock County Courthouse.