The woman allegedly coaxed multiple teenage boys out of school for sex – sometimes filming the encounters
A district judge has rejected a plea deal from a formerly married Idaho woman for having sex with multiple teens while filming the encounters, even inviting school boys from a nearby Mormon seminary to come into her hot tub to “snuggle”.
As reported by East Idaho News, District Judge Darren Simpson struck down the proposed amended charges filed against 34-year-old Amanda Katherine Steele, from the town of Soda Springs, who was initially charged with three felony counts of child sexual battery committed by lewd conduct, regarding her alleged sex acts with teen boys.
The woman’s attorney argued that the teen boys could suffer “bodily harm” while having sex with an adult, making the felony injury to child charges sufficient.
“I’m not going to accept a plea on some fiction,” Judge Simpson said, according to East Idaho News. “I’ve got some concerns about being able to take a plea unless there is a factual basis for it.”
District Judge Darren Simpson did not think the amended charges filed against Amanda Katherine Steele, 34, fit the alleged sex offenses. The signed plea agreement changed three felony counts of child sexual battery committed by lewd conduct to two counts of felony injury to a child.
Judge rejects plea deal for woman accused of sexual relations with teen boys
EAST IDAHO NEWS
The married woman’s binding plea agreement with the prosecutor dropped one of her charges after multiple teenage boys came forward with claims that they had sex with her in 2016, the Daily Mail reports.
According to court documents, the boys would skip school and Latter-Day Saint seminary so that they could have sex with Steele, who was living in Arco, Idaho, at the time of the inappropriate sexual relations.
Amanda Steele as seen during her socially-distanced legal hearing
The woman’s ex-husband came forward in July 2019, admitting to authorities that his wife told him she had been having sex with underage teen boys.
The man claimed that he returned home one day to find his then-wife and one of the minors canoodling in the family hot tub. He alleged that he tried to stop the inappropriate activity, however Steele told him he was “being ridiculous”. The alleged sex abuse was revealed following the pair’s divorce.
The man shared that he came home one day to find Steele and one of her victims snuggling in a hot tub. When he tried stopping the activity, the ex-husband shared that the woman would become upset and ‘tell him he’s being ridiculous.’
Judge rejects plea deal for mother who had sex with multiple underage boys when they skipped school and filmed their trysts before her husband caught her in a hot tub with one of the teens
DAILY MAIL
As per The Sun, it was after the couple’s divorce that Steele’s ex-husband contacted deputies saying that his ex-wife admitted to him she’d had sex with the underage boys.
He then apparently informed investigators that in an earlier interview, he was more concerned about saving his marriage than telling them the truth about his wife’s infidelity and the hot tub incident.
The investigation was launched in late 2017 when the married woman’s father-in-law contacted local authorities after hearing rumors that she was hanging out with a group of boys.
It was then stalled in 2018 when the minors, Steele and others began giving conflicting answers during interviews.
law enforcement’s investigation led to multiple teenage boys saying they engaged in sexual activity with Steele in 2016 with one encounter allegedly recorded on camera.
Investigators spoke with one of the teenagers again in 2019, who admitted to authorities that he had been having sex with the 34-year-old woman while underage. He also claimed that he used a Go-Pro camera to record one of their sex romps, but that the computer with the file had been destroyed.
“(The victim) told me he knew several of his friends had sex with her too but didn’t know anyone else besides (a second victim) had been under 18,” a deputy wrote in his report.
Woman, 34, who ‘filmed romps with underage teens’ arrested after husband ‘catches her in hot tub with boy’
THE U.S. SUN
According to MEAWW, the report also stated that the witnesses considered the encounter consensual. However prosecutors charged Steele was charged because, under Idaho law, a minor who is 16 and 17 cannot consent to sex with adults who are five or more years older than them.
At the time of the woman’s arrest over sex with minors, Steele had moved to Soda Springs. It was here that she was booked by the Caribou County Deputies in November 2019 on a warrant and posted the $50,000 bond.
District Judge Simpson has set another hearing for September 30 to discuss the status of the woman’s case.
“I’m not trying to throw a wrench into the negotiations because it sounds like you’ve worked on it very hard,” he said.
Each charge against Steele holds a maximum sentence of life in prison.
She was charged with three felony counts of child sexual battery committed by lewd conduct. Steele has now opted to take her case to a jury and she pleaded not guilty to sex crimes involving multiple teenagers. She appeared in Butte County District Court for an arraignment.
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