Grand jury indicts Priest Lake man

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County jury is indicting a Priest Lake man for engaging in lewd conduct with two minors.

William Scott Wegner was arrested by Pend Oreille County sheriff’s officials on Monday on a $100,000 warrant. He appeared in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Tuesday via videoconferencing with the Bonner County Jail.

Wegner, 40, acknowledged that he understood his rights and the charges against him. Judge Tera Harden appointed a public defender to represent Wegner, who advised the court he has been disabled and unemployed since 2009. The court also entered an order prohibiting Wegner from having any form of contact with the alleged victims in the case.

Wegner also told the court he is in the process of adjusting prescription medication for a medical condition and has an upcoming doctor’s appointment.

“I have seizures on a constant basis,” he said.

“I cannot touch your bond or release you,” Harden said when the matter of Wegner’s bail arose during the brief hearing.

Portions of the indictment revealed in court alleged that Wegner engaged in lewd and lascivious conduct with a 5-year-old in March 2018. He’s further accused of engaging in lewd conduct between the fall of 2017 and February of this year with a minor who was between the ages of 12-14. Harden ordered remaining details in the indictment sealed.

It was the second indictment issued by a grand jury this month. The indictment bypasses a preliminary hearing in the case, which places Wegner in 1st District Court for arraignment on March 26.

Wegner has no prior criminal history in the state of Idaho, according to the state’s iCourt database.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.