Pinehurst Man Sentenced For Molestation

Thu., Oct. 12, 2000

From Staff Reports

A Pinehurst, Idaho, man has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison after admitting he molested four boys in a friend’s apartment in Spokane.

Ronald E. Aldrich, 32, was sentenced in Spokane County Superior Court to 82 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of first-degree child molestation, the U.S. attorney’s office in Coeur d’Alene said Tuesday.

The sentencing was Friday.

Aldrich was arrested in December 1999 in Priest River, Idaho, on a Spokane County warrant charging him with four counts of first-degree child molestation.

Prosecutors say Aldrich molested four Idaho boys, 6 to 10 years old, during sleepovers at a Spokane apartment between November 1998 and February 1999.

FBI agents began investigating Aldrich in May 1999 after one of the boys’ parents contacted authorities. The parents all knew Aldrich and allowed their sons to spend the night with him, detectives said.

The investigation involved the FBI and police in Spokane County and Shoshone County, Idaho.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.