Press Release from Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office
Derek J. Thomson, 29, was convicted of Lewd Conduct with a Minor under Sixteen. Thomson engaged in sexual contact with two minor children between September 2018 and September 2023. The abuse occurred while the minor children were between 3-8 and 2-7 years old and included manual-genital contact against the children. Lewd Conduct With a Minor Under Sixteen is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. Thomson was sentenced on June 5, 2024.
Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Art Verharen recommended a life prison sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years.
District Judge Barry McHugh sentenced Thomson to a 30 year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years.
Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks the Post Falls Police Department for investigating the case and all others who supported the victims through the pendency of the proceedings. “The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office supports victims of crime, particularly children who have been abused by the hands of a trusted adult. This type of conduct is among the worst in society and we appreciate all who work to protect children.”
