Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
PALOUSE — A local man has pleaded guilty in Whitman County Superior Court to second-degree child molestation.
Kaleb Gibler, 19, of Palouse, will be sentenced during a hearing Dec. 9. He is currently being housed in the Whitman County Jail on $10,000 bail.
Court records show Gibler does not have any other criminal history.
He was arrested Thursday, Aug. 25, records show.
Off-duty police officer Joel Anderson was called in to investigate the case when the defendant’s step-mother reported that Gibler had inappropriately touched his 13-year-old stepsister, records show.
When Gibler was confronted with the allegations, records show he admitted to the sexual contact. He was arrested, transported and booked into Whitman County Jail on two counts of second-degree child molestation.
He has been in the jail since.
On Tuesday, Oct. 11, Gibler was offered a plea agreement stipulating he would not be charged with further crimes relating to the victim prior to the offer.
The Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office recommended Gibler apply for a special sex offender sentencing alternative, as requested by the victim, records show.
“If he qualifies for that and the judge agrees, he would undergo intensive treatment for five years,” Whitman County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tessa Scholl said.
If the sentencing alternative is granted, Gibler will serve 12 months in jail. Prosecuting attorneys will not object to early release if Gibler has housing outside the city of Palouse, records show.
If the sentencing alternative is not granted, prosecuting attorneys are recommending 15 months in jail, records show. Gibler must also register as a sex offender and adhere to a sexual assault protection order limiting contact with the victim for 10 years.
Reader Comments(0)