Latah man charged with child rape, molestation, sexual exploitation

Prosecutors added nine new charges, including child rape, on Thursday against a man already charged with communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

Paul A. Sloniker, 32, was arrested in July after a parent found explicit text messages from Sloniker to their son, according to court documents. He was released later that month on a $25,000 bail.

The victim then disclosed to his parents that Sloniker had been assaulting him for three years, court documents show.

As of Thursday, Sloniker was also charged with child molestation, child rape, sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful imprisonment.

Sloniker is the brother of Kevin Gerard Sloniker, who is serving a 35-year prison sentence in Idaho after he pleaded guilty to molesting seven boys ages 8 to 14 over a period of 10 years.

Kevin Sloniker’s public defender, Michael Palmer, said at the time that his client’s actions were influenced by his isolated upbringing. The family lived in the small town of Latah in southern Spokane County when the boys were young.

According to Palmer, Kevin Sloniker was home-schooled, had little contact with other children and was exposed to pornography at a young age by an older sibling.

Paul Sloniker’s address listed in court documents indicates he still lives in Latah. He does not have a criminal record.