Idaho Falls man charged with sexual abuse of teenage boy
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IDAHO FALLS — Police say an Idaho Falls man sexually abused a 14-year-old boy who he met at a local skatepark.
Braxton Michael Combs, 20, is charged with felony sex abuse of a child under 16. According to an affidavit of probable cause, witnesses said a year ago that the victim told them he had sex with Combs. The victim did not disclose any sexual contact to the police.
Under Idaho law, a minor cannot legally consent to sex with an adult, making the allegation against Combs a crime.
The Idaho Falls Police Department learned about the alleged abuse on June 5, 2019, when the victim arrived at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after overdosing on Xanax. A woman who brought the boy to the hospital said the victim had sex with Combs on June 4, 2019, according to court documents.
Another witness told police she saw Combs and the victim alone together at a room in a house. The witness told officers when the victim came out, she asked what they were doing. He replied that he and Combs had sex. She also claimed to see two kissing.
Combs spoke with detectives and said he met the victim at the Idaho Falls skatepark. He said the two would hang out near Monroc, go swimming, and kissed twice.
When investigators spoke with the victim, he claimed to know Combs and would hang out with him but denied any sexual contact, the probable cause reads.
Bonneville County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Dewey explained to EastIdahoNews.com investigators worked over the last year to speak to the parties involved and the victim’s custodial parents to see how to proceed. As soon as the prosecutor’s office received a signed affidavit from detectives this month they filed the charge.
Combs was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on Friday. Court records indicate he posted the $60,000 bond for his release.
A preliminary hearing for Combs is scheduled for July 1.