Man accused of sex crime jailed after extradition back to Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS — A former east Idaho man is in jail after the alleged sexual assault of a pre-teen girl last year.
Adrian Jay Kovalsky, 35, was charged with felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 in 2019. But fled the state before police could arrest him.
Eventually, he was located in Connecticut and Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies extradited him back to Idaho this week.
Court records show the felony charge stems from March 11, 2019, when Idaho Falls police took a report from a 12-year-old girl who said Kovalsky raped her, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com. During a forensic interview, the victim told officers the act was painful and not fun.
The victim said Kovalsky, who also goes by the alias “Gypsy” or “Stitches,” first sexually assaulted her in January 2019 three times at a house in Idaho Falls. The victim described the incidents in graphic detail. She said she was afraid to tell anyone fearing Kovalsky would hurt her, according to court documents.
“(The victim) said Adrian told her not to tell anyone, or he would be known as a ‘chomo’, a euphemism for child molester and that he could go to jail,” a detective writes in the probable cause.
When asked about how she knew Kovalsky, the victim said he recognized her from the soup kitchen. She said Kovalsky asked her to add him on his Facebook under the name “Adrian Gypsy.” Eventually, the victim began hanging out with Kovalsky, whom she considered part of her “street family.”
When the victim ran away from home in March 2019, she reportedly went to stay at a house with Kovalsky. The victim claims Kovalsky sexually assaulted her multiple times again.
Investigators went to the house where Kovalsky is alleged to have assaulted the victim. Family members of Kovalsky said they kicked him out when they discovered the alleged relationship with the victim.
Detectives spoke with Kovalsky, who said he knew the victim but denied ever sexually assaulting the girl. He also told investigators the victim said she was 18. The victim admitted to officers she said that to Kovalsky, but she also said it was easy to tell that she is not 18, according to court documents.
Kovalsky gave a DNA sample for comparison to a sexual assault exam conducted on the victim. Court records don’t indicate what the results were.
Police took a look at the girl’s cell phone and found multiple calls and messages between her and a number belonging to Kovalsky. In one of the texts, police say Kovalsky sent a link to the Nickleback song “Fight For All The Wrong Reasons.” Investigators say the song includes lyrics “concerning an inappropriate relationship and receiving sexual satisfaction,” according to court documents.
A warrant for Kovalsky’s arrest was issued on Nov. 5, 2019. It’s not clear when he moved to Connecticut, but police learned of his location in August and worked to get him extradited.
A judge set Kovalsky’s bail at $50,000. If Kovalsky posts bail, he must wear an ankle monitor and can not leave Bonneville County. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 4.
While Kovalsky is charged with a crime, it does not automatically mean he committed the crime. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted of felony lewd conduct, a judge could order Kovalsky to spend up to life in prison.