Jury finds local man guilty of lewd conduct with a child, new charges under consideration in Jefferson County

Travis Aldridge | Custer County Jail
CHALLIS – A 43-year-old man was found guilty of lewd conduct with a child after a recent jury trial.
Travis Aldridge of Rigby was found guilty on March 31 after a four-day trial presided over by District Judge Stevan Thompson.
Aldridge was originally charged in September 2021 with felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 and a felony enhancement for being a persistent violator. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
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The 14-year-old victim in the case stated since the end of January 2019, Aldridge had raped her multiple times in both Custer County and Jefferson County.
In the Custer County case, the victim told officers that Aldridge had taken her to Challis to get firewood from a relative’s home. They stayed in a trailer that night where she was raped.
The victim also said she feared telling others, and Aldridge told her to keep it a secret.
As of Thursday afternoon, Aldridge has only faced charges in Custer County. According to Custer County Prosecuting Attorney Justin Oleson, the majority of the allegations against Aldridge happened in Jefferson County.
“Most of these inappropriate activities took place in Jefferson County; only one incident occurred in Custer County,” says Oleson. “There were dozens of times of inappropriate activity in Jefferson County. Frankly, they were the ones that started the investigation, we were collateral.”
Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Taylor says they have been closely watching how the case played out in Custer County.
“This is the same conduct and the same victim in both counties, and we were waiting for the outcome of the Custer County case,” says Taylor. “Now that he’s been found guilty, we need to consult with the victim and the detectives to decide the best steps forward for us in Jefferson County.”
It is not clear how quickly or even if charges will be filed against Aldridge in Jefferson County.
In the Custer County case, Aldridge is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, where he could face up to life in prison.
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Source: eastidahonews.com