Idaho Falls man charged with sexual battery after allegedly luring teen to home with band t-shirts
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IDAHO FALLS — A 54-year-old man is facing felony charges for allegedly luring a teen to his home with the promise of band T-shirts, then sexually assaulting her.
Jeffery Dale Gile, of Idaho Falls, is charged with one count of sexual battery of a minor child–lewd contact, one count of sexual battery of a minor child–solicitation, two counts of sexual battery of a minor child–sexual contact, and one misdemeanor count of dispensing alcohol to a minor.
A police booking affidavit says that on Oct. 7, the principal at an alternative school told an Idaho Falls police resource officer that a student needed to report a sexual assault from the previous day.
The affidavit says the teen girl then reported to the officer that her neighbor had invited her into his home to pick out some band T-shirts. She identified the neighbor as Gile and said the T-shirts had been a topic of conversation between them, the document states.
While at the residence, the teen said Gile persuaded her to drink alcohol with him, according to police. She told the officer she took a shot of peppermint schnapps, a shot of Crown Royal, and drank some of what she thought at the time was Corona, but as later revealed to be malt liquor.
The teen described the shot glass she used as having a nun on it, according to the affidavit.
At some point, the teen said she went into Gile’s bedroom and was sitting on his bed. She said this is when Gile started trying to kiss her on the mouth and neck, and began to touch her inappropriately beneath her clothing, the affidavit states. The teen said she tried to make Gile stop by pulling away and saying she wanted to go home.
She said Gile told her he wanted to perform sexual acts on her and kissed her shirt over her breast, according to the affidavit. But then she said he escorted her out of the house.
The affidavit goes on to state that Gile’s roommate, who also spoke to police, reported seeing Gile escorting the teen from the home and said Gile had his hand on the teen’s hip, touching her buttocks.
A search warrant was obtained and executed at Gile’s home, where police say they found a bottle of “Mickey’s” malt liquor, a bottle of peppermint schnapps, and a Crown Royal bottle in the freezer. They also found a shot glass with the nun on it, the document says.
In addition, law enforcement said they took the shirt the girl said she was wearing during the alleged assault into evidence. Police said they believe it has what appears to be “biological fluid of some kind on the right breast area.”
Gile was taken into police custody and interviewed, then arrested. The affidavit says he told police he had invited the teen to his home to look at the band T-shirts, but he claimed nothing inappropriate happened. Gile also denied giving the teen alcohol, the document states.
Police say Gile willingly supplied a DNA sample to them.
Gile is expected to appear in court Oct. 20 for a preliminary hearing.
He has been appointed a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender’s Office does not comment on active cases.
If found guilty of the charges against him, Gile may face up to life in prison and may be required to pay fines of up to $251,000.
Although Gile has been accused of these crimes, that does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.