A 29-year-old Coeur d'Alene man was sentenced to up to eight years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl and sending her an inappropriate photo.
Joshua Ash was convicted of felony injury to a child and misdemeanor disseminating material harmful to minors, according to a Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office news release.
The investigation began when probation officers searched the home of Ash's mother who was on probation at the time, prosecutors said. Officers located a naked 15-year-old girl in Ash's bedroom closet.
Ash claimed they were just friends but evidence in the bedroom suggested they communicated for several months and were in an intimate relationship, according to the release. An investigation revealed Ash and the teen had sex on at least one occasion and Ash sent her a photo of himself touching his genital area.
District Judge Scott Wayman sentenced Ash on July 13 to eight years in prison with parole eligibility after two years.
