50-year-old fugitive accused of sexual contact with 6-year-old girl captured overseas, returned to Latah County

A 50-year-old man charged with lewd conduct with a minor and who fled to Eastern Europe was brought back to North Idaho by authorities to face the charge, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Rody L. Wilcox is accused of inappropriately touching a 6-year-old girl, according to court documents.

Wilcox was initially arrested in December 2023 in Salmon, Idaho, but he posted bond the following month while pending trial, according to a Marshals Service news release. Wilcox later failed to appear for a motion hearing while on bond, and an arrest warrant was issued in July .

Investigators learned that sometime earlier in July, prior to his hearing, Wilcox fled the country, the release said. The Latah County Sheriff’s Office, Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI worked together to locate Wilcox. Georgian authorities arrested him in August.

Earlier this week, U.S. Marshals deputies extradited Wilcox from Georgia to Latah County.

“This case is an excellent example that we will find you and return you to face your charges,” U.S. Marshal Brent Bunn said in the release. “We are proud to be able to leverage partnerships with county, state and federal partners to help keep our communities a safe place to live.”

Wilcox, who remained in Latah County Jail Thursday, is scheduled for a status hearing Monday.