Former North Idaho teacher sentenced to at least 30 years in prison for sexual abuse of minors

COEUR D’ALENE (The Spokesman Review) — A former North Idaho elementary school teacher will spend at least 30 years in prison for lewd conduct with two minors over a period of several years.

Ronald D. Stone, 64, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with parole eligibility after 30 years, according to a Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney news release.

In June, a jury convicted Stone, who taught at Hayden Meadows Elementary School, of two counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16. The prosecutor’s office said earlier this year the sexual conduct that formed the basis for the charges was not connected to Stone’s employment.

The release said Stone engaged in sexual contact with one minor over seven years starting when the child was as young as 3. He engaged in sexual contact with a second child over a seven-year period while the minor was between 3 and 11.

The victims testified the abuse happened between 1992 and 2006.

“The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office supports victims of crime, particularly children who have been abused by the hands of a trusted adult,” Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen said in the release. “This type of conduct is among the worst in society and we appreciate all who work to protect children.”