Charges delayed for Driggs man accused of sexual contact with child and dog
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DRIGGS — Charges have been delayed for a man accused of having sexual contact with a child and a dog on camera.
Evan Mark Shelline was charged with two counts of felony sexual exploitation of a child. One of the charges was later dropped. In probable cause documents, Teton County Sheriff’s deputies recommended Shelline be charged with sexual abuse of an animal, but prosecutors have not charged him with that crime.
RELATED | Man charged after video allegedly shows sexual contact with child and dog
According to court documents, a deferred prosecution agreement was reached between Teton County prosecutors and Shelline on Feb. 28, which is a “voluntary agreement between the prosecutor and the defendant whereby the government offers to dismiss charges upon the defendant’s satisfactory fulfillment of certain requirements (e.g., performing a certain number of community service hours),” according to the Pretrial Services Agency of the District of Columbia.
Shelline contacted EastIdahoNews.com, saying the deferred prosecution agreement is “in no way an admission of guilt or no contest to the charges.” EastIdahoNews.com asked Shelline and his attorney what his requirements for the agreement are, and we are waiting to hear back.
We also reached out to Teton County Prosecutor Bailey Smith, who has not gotten back to us. We will update when we learn more.
Shelline’s jury trial for March 26 has been canceled, and a review hearing has been set for March 3, 2026.
Background
According to court documents, on July 3, a woman contacted a Teton County Sheriff’s deputy and said she found a concerning video uploaded to a Google Drive account by Shelline.
Police reports say the video shows Shelline and a dog engaging in sexual contact. A 3-year-old child is seen sexually touching Shelline. The child did not have contact with the dog in the video.
According to the woman, she believes a 6-year-old was filming the video because that child’s hair is seen in the corner of the frame. Police say the video was taken on April 4, 2020. They also determined that it was recorded on Shelline’s phone in Driggs.
On Aug. 8, 2024, the child in the video was asked to participate in a forensic interview. According to court documents, the child “did not speak about the incident that was recorded.”
An arrest warrant was issued out of Teton County on Oct. 18, and Shelline was arrested in Oakland County, Michigan, but the warrant was later quashed.
Shelline was summoned on Oct. 25 to appear in Teton County and participated in his district court arraignment on Dec. 3.
If convicted, Shelline could face up to 30 years in prison.
Though Shelline has been charged with these crimes, this does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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