Troy man faces trial in Idaho child sex assault case

BONNERS FERRY —A Troy man is charged with two counts of lewd conduct upon a nine-year-old and is set to stand trial on August 8.  

Kevin R. Alyea, 50, of Troy, Montana is charged with two counts of lewd conduct to a minor under the age of 16.  

According to court documents, the child told his mother that Alyea and he had engaged in oral sex during car rides between September and November 2023.  

On January 31, 2024, Boundary County Sheriff Deputy Brandon Blackmore watched the child during a forensic interview with the Child Advocacy Center in Coeur d’Alene.   

In court documents, the deputy said the youth told forensic interviewers about the activity, saying it would happen when they drove to Bonners Ferry, or when the boy rode on a tractor with Alyea.  

When he reached out to Alyea and asked if he knew the boy, the deputy wrote in a probable cause affidavit that the man said he had known the boy in the fall of 2023 and had taken him on rides on the tractor and had driven him to Bonners Ferry to pick up mechanical parts.  

On February 14, a bench warrant was issued for Alyea and on Feb. 21, he was arrested in  Lincoln County, Montana. Bond was set for $50,000 with each charge set at $25,000. 

A motion for bond reduction at Alyea’s March 1 initial appearance was denied by Magistrate Judge Justin W. Julian.   

On March 27, the defense argued that bond was too “excessive” and made a motion for Alyea to be released on his own recognizance. Magistrate Judge Lamont C. Berecz, who said that the bond amount was appropriate due to the danger to the potential to the community if Alyea were released, denied the motion.  

Alyea has pled not guilty. A jury trial is set for August 8.  

A conviction of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 could result in life imprisonment in Idaho.