Sex assault claimed in lawsuit against ex-Adams County deputy

BOISE – A former Adams County sheriff’s deputy is facing a lawsuit over claims that he coerced a drunken driver into having sex with him in his patrol vehicle.

Sheriff Ryan Zollman said the former deputy, Brian Yoakum, left the sheriff’s office in 2014.

The Idaho Statesman reported the woman’s lawsuit said she was intoxicated during a March 2014 encounter when Yoakum convinced her to exit her vehicle and have sex with him.

An Idaho State Police investigation found that the woman gave contradictory statements about whether she consented to the sex. The report also said Yoakum told investigators the sex was consensual.

Deputy Attorney General Paul Panther had declined prosecution, saying audio recorded on the woman’s phone from the incident indicated she offered to perform a sexual act for the deputy.