Offender denies day care allegations

A registered sex offender has denied allegations that he violated his probation by visiting his wife’s Coeur d’Alene day care and attempting to entice a 3-year-old with a lollipop, according to a response his attorney filed this week in Kootenai County Court.

Last week, Stephen Christopher Krous’ probation officer reported that Krous had failed a polygraph exam July 15, just days after a mother filed a complaint with Panhandle Health.

The mother alleged that Krous visited Happy Days Child Care and offered her 3-year-old daughter a lollipop.

The mother said the girl told her a “man teacher” had taken her to the bathroom and said, “I will give you a lollipop if I can look at you.”

She said the daughter later identified Krous when he was allegedly parked in his van outside the day care.

A hearing to address the alleged probation violation has been set for Sept. 2.

Last week, Krous’ wife, Misty Krous, reported that anonymous callers had threatened to kill her husband in phone calls to the day care. She said that two calls were from a man and another was from a woman.

Misty Krous had her day-care license revoked in 2001 after her husband was convicted of fondling an 11-year-old who was staying overnight at the couple’s home. At the time, she was running an in-home day care in Post Falls called Loving Hands.

The Panhandle Health District and city of Coeur d’Alene, the licensing agency for Happy Days, said they were aware of Misty Krous’ background when they issued her child-care permit in December 2004.

The city said it had to issue Misty Krous the license, though, because she had formed a limited liability corporation. Because Misty Krous had formed the LLC, there was no legal basis for the city to conduct a background check on her husband.

Coeur d’Alene police are investigating the parent’s complaint and have said they will not comment until the investigation is complete.

The city said it is awaiting the results of that investigation to determine whether Misty Krous will be able to keep her day-care license.