Man charged with rape in Bannock County
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POCATELLO — A Bannock County man has been arrested and charged with rape following an incident that allegedly occurred Oct. 23.
James Dean Mettler, 25, has been charged with one count of rape and one count of intimidating, impeding, influencing or preventing the attendance of a witness.
According to court documents, on the night of Oct. 23, officers with the Pocatello Police Department responded to a report of a sexual assault.
Mettler and the victim had reportedly met one another at a local Bannock County homeless shelter. After the victim’s family was able to secure a temporary stay at a hotel, the victim and her family invited Mettler to temporarily stay with them, on the condition that he helped with rent, court documents state.
The victim and Mettler, who, according to the victim, were not in a romantic relationship of any type, shared a bed. Court documents state that while the victim was under the influence of a prescription medication that made her drowsy, Mettler allegedly sexually assaulted her in the night while she was unable to resist.
The victim also reported that Mettler had allegedly told her earlier in the day that if police became involved, he would hurt her family.
After the victim disclosed the assault to family, the victim’s family removed Mettler from the room and contacted law enforcement, documents state.
At approximately 11 p.m. Oct. 23, law enforcement located Mettler in the parking lot of a local Burger King, and after Mettler allegedly told them he was feeling suicidal and homicidal, Mettler was taken by law enforcement to Portneuf Medical Center for evaluation.
In interviews with law enforcement, court documents state Mettler allegedly first denied having any sort of sexual contact with the victim, but later changed his statement to say he and the victim had intercourse before getting in an argument. When asked about whether or not the incident was consensual, Mettler allegedly first told officers that it was, but later changed his statement, telling law enforcement that the victim had told him to stop and he persisted.
At one point with conversations with police, Mettler allegedly told them to “just take me to f****** jail,” according to court documents. After being transported to the Bannock County Detention Center, Mettler was reportedly asked if he had any injuries or medical conditions, to which he allegedly responded, he “accidentally raped” someone.
If found guilty of the charges against him, Mettler may face up to life in prison and may be required to pay fines of up to $100,000.
Mettler has been appointed a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender’s Office does not comment on active cases.
He is expected to appear in court next Nov. 4 for a preliminary hearing.
Although Mettler has been charged with a crime, that does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is assumed innocent until proven guilty.