Second Brother Sentenced For Child Molestation

A Pocatello man whose brother already is serving a prison term as a repeat child sexual abuser has been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison for molesting children.

“To do what you did is, well, I need to remain civilized in these proceedings,” 6th District Judge Peter McDermott said Monday in sentencing Allen Jay Wells to up to 45 years in prison. “You took advantage of little children with little bodies and little minds.”

Wells, 31, who referred to himself as a sex addict and admitted to incidents with other children, pleaded guilty to one count of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and one count of sexual abuse of a child. He admitted molesting one of his victims over two years.

Wells’ mother, Vera Ann Wells, said a prison term did nothing to rehabilitate another son, Richard Wells. He only got out and molested children again, she said.

Public defender Jack Ross urged McDermott to consider giving Wells jail time with work release so he could continue contributing to his family’s support and help pay for his victims’ therapy.

Putting Wells in prison would not address the cause of the problem, Ross argued, and the $25,000 a year his incarceration will cost taxpayers could be better spent. In fact, he said, jail time and a long period on probation might encourage other child molesters to seek help.

But Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor Kay Lyon said Wells is a predator who seeks out young children to victimize.

“This man is a criminal,” Lyon said. “This man is a child molester. Taxpayers don’t care what it costs to keep him locked up. He’s a menace to all children with whom he comes into contact.”