A 19-year-old Idaho man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to forcible penetration with a foreign object and injury to a child. His victim was a 2-year-old boy.
Caden Coles, was sentenced to between five and 25 years in prison by District Judge Bruce Pickett. Specifically, Coles received five to 25 years for forcible penetration by use of a foreign object against the victim’s will and five to 10 years for felony injury to a child. Both sentences will run concurrently.
Originally, Coles was also charged with felony aggravated battery. But that charge was dismissed on January 25 as part of a plea agreement in exchange for guilty pleas on the other charges. Prosecutors also agreed to drop a separate case, where he was charged with felony lewd conduct with a child.
The dismissed case included allegations that Coles molested two young victims when they were between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. The victims stated Coles forced them to perform a variety of sex acts in exchange for allowing them to play with his cell phone.
During the sentencing, Bonneville County Assistant Chief Deputy Prosecutor Penny North-Shaul described the horrific details of this case. She explained Coles got frustrated with the child while bathing him and forced a toy up the child’s rectum.
North-Shaul said the 2-year-old needed surgery to repair the damage from the sexual assault.
She argued that while Coles is young, he is still a danger to society.
“I don’t see anywhere that Mr. Coles is now accepting responsibility for what happened to this child; in fact, I see the opposite,” said North-Shaul. “We have to protect the community first.”
North-Shaul also pointed out to the court that during an interview with an investigator, Coles reportedly told them he “just said what the detective wanted him to say.”
Coles’s attorney, Jason Gustaves, argued for retained jurisdiction and a rider program, saying Coles grew up in an unstable household.
“Mr. Coles has never met his father, ever. There’s a bit of a hole in his life with that,” said Gustaves. “This caused internal trauma that has never been addressed for him.”
Gustaves also argued Coles is young, has no criminal history, and has unaddressed mental health issues.
“He’s a very nervous person,” said Gustaves. “Mr. Coles, quite frankly, your honor, he’s got some gaps and some voids in his ability to function.”
Pickett agreed with North-Shaul, saying that it was concerning to have Coles deny wrongdoing, even though he pleaded guilty.
“You admitted to sexual frustration and anger,” Pickett said. “This is a 2-year-old child that can do nothing to protect itself, absolutely nothing. And because of your frustration and anger, you injured the child.”
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