Wyoming man pleads guilty to sexually abusing a child in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS – A Wyoming man pleaded guilty Monday after being charged with a felony child sex crime.
Jay Burris, 52, pleaded guilty during a preliminary hearing in front of District Judge Michael Whyte. According to court documents, Burris could face up to 25 years in prison for the charge of felony child sexual abuse.
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According to documents filed by the Idaho Falls Police Department, a 12-year-old victim told police Burris exposed himself and did other sexual acts to her as she slept during an incident that allegedly happened between September 2019 and September 2020.
A 10-year-old victim explained a similar situation. Both victims said this happened at Burris’ apartment in Idaho Falls.
An officer met with Burris in Casper, Wyoming, to interview him. Burris initially denied wrongdoing and said he had done nothing inappropriate with either of the girls.
Following the interview, he “exhibited very abnormal and what would be considered guilt-driven behavior,” documents said.
Investigators learn that Burris called the children and apologized for his past actions, then went missing from Casper on Nov. 10.
On Dec. 1, he told a local officer that he “was going to tell (the officer) things that were going to get him put in prison forever,” documents said.
Burris told the officer that he had never exposed himself to the two children. He also maintained that he never had any sexual contact.
However, later in the interview, Burris began describing what he had done with one of the victims. He admitted he “played with her for his own self-pleasure.” Burris said this all happened with one of the victims right before he left Idaho Falls in 2020 around her 8th or 9th birthday.
Burris was then arrested and taken to the Bonneville County Jail.
Burris is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6.