Man accused of molesting girl allegedly said the devil made him do it
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS — A 35-year-old man faced a judge and witnesses in a Bonneville County courtroom Tuesday after he allegedly confessed to molesting a girl and said the devil made him do it.
Everett Guyn Haynes IV was charged in May with felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 and felony child sexual abuse by permitting a child to witness an act of sexual conduct. He allegedly confessed to molesting the now-teenager over a decade later. The North Carolina man was extradited to Bonneville County to face the charges on May 24.
During Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, Haynes appeared before Magistrate Judge Wiley Dennert. Haynes, who is hearing impaired, had an ASL interpreter to help him in court. Public defender John Thomas represented Haynes. Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal was also in attendance to ask witnesses questions.
Only two witnesses were called to the stand, including the victim and the detective involved in the case.
The victim said she was molested by Haynes when she was 5 years old. She is now 15 years old. In court, she said she remembered Haynes abusing her 10 years ago in an apartment in Idaho Falls.
“He physically abused me and molested me,” she said in court.
She talked about two incidents and described abuse in her bedroom.
“He came into my room, and he decided to give it another try, and I am sorry. … This is hard to talk about,” she said pausing and tearing up in court.
She added how Haynes would come into her room and touch her sexually, and he would masturbate in front of her.
RELATED | Man accused of sex crimes extradited to Idaho Falls to face charges over 10 years later
The incidents are reported to have happened sometime between July to December 2010.
Idaho Falls Police Detective Anthony Overby took the stand in court and described how he asked questions to Haynes over Facebook, posing as the victim. Police discovered Haynes was deaf and communicated only through Facebook Messenger and video chat. He learned Haynes lived in North Carolina.
Overby said the victim and a family member agreed to create a Facebook account under the victim’s name, which he would then use to contact Haynes, posing as her.
Overby began a conversation with Haynes that lasted multiple weeks. He confronted Haynes multiple times only about the specific allegations that the victim made.
“Initially, Mr. Haynes denied the allegations claiming both that he didn’t do it and claiming that he couldn’t remember,” Overby said. “Afterwards, he told me he did touch … her … however, it was when he was checking her diaper.”
When Overby further confronted him about what had happened, Haynes admitted what he did was wrong.
“He said that he was wrong for doing it, and he did it because he was young and the devil told him to do it,” Overby said.
When Haynes allegedly masturbated in front of the victim, he described how he was able to avoid detection.
“He said on one occasion … he was able to not get caught because he kept the family dog in the room, and the dog would leave the room alerting him if someone had arrived home,” Overby said.
Throughout the conversation, Haynes sent multiple videos, pictures, and live video calls, showing his face and further documenting that it was, in fact, Haynes who was in control of the Facebook account at the time of these multiple confessions.
Haynes did not show much emotion in court but was focused on the ASL interpreter.
No closing arguments were made in the case. Judge Dennert determined there was sufficient evidence based on the court’s findings to bind Haynes over to district court.
Haynes bond remained the same at $100,000. He is scheduled for an arraignment at the Bonneville County courthouse on June 13 at 8:45 a.m. Click here to read more on the original story.
