Man charged after child says she was sexually abused while playing VR

IDAHO FALLS — A 44-year-old man has been charged after a child reported he sexually abused her in front of her siblings while they had VR headsets on.

Johnny Whitaker is charged with felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 years old.

According to court documents, a Bonneville County Sheriff’s detective was assigned to follow up on a child sexual abuse case on May 9.

During a police interview, the victim said she was at a relative’s house watching TV when a photo appeared that looked like Whitaker, according to court documents.

The victim told her sibling that the man looked like Whitaker and said, “I hate him. He’s a pedophile.”

She said Whitaker had sexually abused her multiple times. The sibling convinced the victim to tell their parents, and law enforcement was notified.

During the interview, the victim disclosed that Whitaker used to visit the family when she was around 8 years old, but it had been a few years since she last saw him.

The victim told the interviewer they would often play with a VR headset, and Whitaker would abuse her while her siblings were using it so they could not see what was happening.

She stated she was “very scared every night because she didn’t know what he was doing to everyone” and after being abused, she would go to a bedroom and lock the door until another adult came home.

After the interview, the detective spoke with the victim’s mother who was reportedly very upset. She said it “made her realize why (the victim) had been having behavioral issues starting around the suspected time these (abuses) had occurred.”

The mother said the victim had been “increasingly angry and fighting with (her siblings) more than usual.”

The detective contacted Whitaker who was reportedly “very evasive and argumentative” and refused to meet with the officer until he was told of the potential charge against him.

Whitaker agreed to appear for an interview on May 24, but never showed up.

On May 28, the victim’s sibling spoke with police and said Whitaker would “force (the victim) to sit really close to him.”

According to the sibling, Whitaker would give the children hugs that “were very tight and he would hold the hug for along time and not let go when the girls let go.”

On June 13, the detective met with Whitaker and his attorney. Whitaker said he knew “almost nothing” about why he was asked to speak with a detective.

During the interview, Whitaker said the victim and two siblings had stayed at his house over a year ago for a period of three days, and they would often play the Oculus, which is a video game that includes a VR headset.

Whitaker said they “had a normal, healthy relationship” and the children’s mother can “be all over the place with what she thinks is a big ticket item.”

He then denied inappropriately touching the victim and said he would be willing to take a polygraph test. It is not clear what the results were, or if the polygraph test was ever taken.

Later, the mother of the victim had another of the siblings do a forensic interviewer, who said Whitaker gave “uncomfortable hugs” but said she did not see anything illegal between him and the victim.

A warrant was issued for Whitaker’s arrest in Canyon County on July 17 and he was transported to the Bonneville County Jail where he appeared in court for an initial appearance on July 26. He posted $10,000 bail and a no-contact order was issued for the victim.

Whitaker is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 9. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.