Teenager To Serve Time For Phone Sex Calls Spirit Lake Youth Admitted Making $17,000 In Calls While Others Were Billed

The teen who billed thousands of dollars of phone sex calls to numerous Hayden residents may be 21 years old before he has free access to a telephone.

On Friday, a Kootenai County judge ordered the Spirit Lake 17-year-old to serve as much as three years for grand theft.

The sentence came as three more Hayden residents reported they had bills for telephone calls they didn’t make.

The Spirit Lake teen couldn’t have made those calls, said Barry Black, Kootenai County deputy prosecutor. He was locked in the Juvenile Detention Center in Coeur d’Alene at the time.

“He is sorry for the problems that he has caused everybody,” Black said the youth told him. “He does not want to be an adult criminal.”

The teen admitted making $17,000 in calls to a phone sex line last fall. He billed the calls to more than 50 Hayden residents with 772 phone prefixes.

The teen may go to the state’s juvenile facility in St. Anthony or out of state.

“There may be other jurisdictions that may be able to address sexual issues better than the facilities at St. Anthony,” Black said.

The youth may be released before his 21st birthday if he responds well to treatment, Black said.

A GTE spokeswoman said the latest round of alleged phone fraud probably did not happen the same way as last fall’s rash of fraudulent calls did.

“We don’t know if there’s a connection,” said GTE Information Director Linda Gainer. “We’re investigating at this point and trying to resolve the issue.”

Malena Paulsen of Hayden said she was billed for about $600 in calls she didn’t make. Her February bill shows that calls were made not only to several 900 lines, but to places like the United Kingdom and Africa, she said. Patrick Meyers of Hayden reported almost $1,000 in fraudulent calls on his February bill, according to a sheriff’s report.

John Carter of Long Distance Billing Co. of Las Vegas said none of the Idaho GTE customers finding new 900-number charges would have to pay those bills.

That company collects phone payments made by customers for 900-number calls.

To keep the problem from recurring, Long Distance has placed a 900-number block on North Idaho phone lines. That means most customers in Coeur d’Alene or Hayden Lake cannot call certain 900-number services.

GTE officials also say they have taken steps to ensure such problems don’t occur again in North Idaho. The company installed new technology in its Hayden Lake office.

“That should make sure that anyone making calls to a 900 line couldn’t have them billed to some other number,” said Gary Richardson, a spokesman for the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.

But Black and telephone officials are reluctant to explain how the youth was able to bill the calls.

“They have corrected it as far as our immediate area is concerned,” Black said, but added. “There are other areas in the GTE network that they are evaluating.”