Ft. Hall Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor

Mervin Fisher, 67, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in Pocatello to 15 months in federal prison for abusive sexual contact of a minor, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Fisher to serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison term. Fisher pled guilty to the charge in November 2010.

According to the plea agreement, in December 2008, the 14-year-old victim told her school counselor that Fisher had been touching her inappropriately over a period of a year. She said that Fisher touched her genitals, buttocks, and breasts. When interviewed by Fort Hall Police, Fisher admitted to inappropriate touching of the victim. At the time of the incident, Fisher, an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, was 65 years old.

The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff's Office, Bannock County Sheriff's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.