Man arrested after alleged sexual relationship with teen he met on dating app
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RIGBY — A Jefferson County man is accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a teenage boy he met on a dating app.
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, Lloyd Michael Vidrine, 35, admitted to investigators he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old boy. Vidrine is charged with three felony counts of sexual battery of a minor by lewd conduct. In Idaho, it is a felony for an adult to have sexual relations with a 17-year-old if they are more than five years older than the teenage victim.
In reports written by investigators with both the Idaho Falls Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Vidrine began the sexual relationship with the teenager after meeting on the dating app Tinder in October 2019. Detectives first met with the victim in early November after his parents discovered the relationship.
The parents told detectives they confronted Vidrine in a planned meet up at a Walmart with police on the way. According to court documents, Vidrine denied aspects of the relationship.
In an interview with police, the victim said he and Vidrine had sex several times in Jefferson County and once in Idaho Falls while staying at a hotel. The victim said he asked Vidrine to meet him during each of the encounters.
Investigators spoke with Vidrine, he said he initially assumed the teenager to be 18-years-old. Vidrine said he eventually learned the victim was underage, but they still had sex.
The teenager also told investigators there would likely be nude photos exchanged between them on his phone. Police took the phones as evidence, however, court documents do not detail if investigators discovered anything illegal.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office arrested Vidrine in December and transported him to the county jail where he remains held on $250,000 bail.
If convicted, Vidrine could spend up to life in prison and be ordered to register as a sex offender.