Bannock County woman charged with stalking and more child sex crimes
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POCATELLO — A Bannock County woman has received criminal charges after an illicit video was allegedly found on her device.
Deborah Luraine Journeau, 29, has been charged with one count of sexual abuse of a child under 16, one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of stalking in the first degree. Journeau was previously charged with three counts of sexual battery of a minor in a separate case that appears to involve the same victim.
In Journeau’s previous case, court documents allege Journeau and the victim were engaged in an inappropriate relationship that involved sexual contact. Journeau allegedly also supplied drugs and alcohol to the victim. The victim was given a no-contact order against Journeau in connection with the case.
Court documents state that on Sept. 12, officers with the Pocatello Police Department received a report that Journeau had had contact with the victim from her previous case, for which she has a no-contact order. Additionally, the department was informed that a video existed depicting illicit sexual acts between Journeau and the victim. The victim allegedly reported they had had two sexual encounters with Journeau since the no-contact order was put in place, according to court documents.
Law enforcement went to Journeau’s residence to speak with her. When Journeau answered the door, court documents state she told officers she already knew what they were there for. When asked if she would come to the police station for an interview, Journeau agreed but said she needed her public defender, adding, “I know you guys are going to arrest me, yep,” according to court documents.
Journeau was taken into custody and transported to the Pocatello Police Department for an interview, where she was notified of the report against her and the video the department had received. Officers reportedly noted that Journeau was identifiable in the video due to a tattoo.
Journeau reportedly denied meeting with the victim or engaging in sexual acts and said the reports were hearsay, stating, “Honest to god, I don’t remember ever having sex with (victim), and if I did, I was drunk,” court documents report.
Officers showed Journeau a screenshot of the illicit video, depicting her tattoo, and Journeau reportedly confirmed it was her, but said that a bracelet she was wearing in the video had been lost prior to the no-contact order being put in place, so the video must have been from before then, according to court documents.
Journeau denied filming the video, claiming that someone else must have done so on her phone.
After the interview, Journeau was arrested.
If found guilty of the new charges and her previous charges, Journeau may face up to life in prison and may be required to pay fines of up to $260,000.
A public defender is representing Journeau. The Idaho State Public Defender’s Office does not comment on active cases.
She is set to appear in court Sept. 22 for a preliminary hearing for the new charges. Journeau has a jury trial for her first case scheduled for Nov. 4.
Although Journeau has been charged with a crime, that does not necessarily mean she committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.