Teen girl’s pregnancy leads to sexual abuse investigation and manhunt
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BLACKFOOT — Investigators say the man at the center of a manhunt over the weekend allegedly sexually abused a teen girl that got pregnant.
Richard “Rocky” Iverson, 43, is charged with five felony counts of lewd conduct with a child. According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, the girl was 15-years-old at the time of the alleged sexual abuse.
Investigators were contacted in November by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare after learning of the girl’s pregnancy and the alleged sexual abuse by Iverson. The victim said that in May 2020, Iverson asked to have sex. The victim said she agreed “or he was going to rape her.”
Court documents include several graphic descriptions of sexual abuse allegations by Iverson over several months.
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Bingham County Sheriff’s deputies tried speaking with Iverson but learned he had left the area. Charges were filed on Wednesday and the U.S. Marshals Service was called in.
On Saturday, authorities tracked down Iverson with another man in Pocatello, and a high-speed chase followed. The chase ended with the suspects’ vehicle crashing into a fence behind the Pocatello Police Department. The pair ran and marshals gave chase. The unidentified man with Iverson reportedly began to shoot at their pursuers. A deputy U.S. marshal returned fire, striking and killing the gunman, according to U.S. Marshal Supervisory Deputy Michael Leigh.
No other information about the unidentified man has been released.
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Iverson escaped and ended up back at his home in Bingham County, where deputies there found him. They were peacefully able to take him into custody Sunday evening.
Iverson remains held in the Bingham County Jail on $150,000 bail for the lewd conduct charges. His initial appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Although Iverson is charged with crimes it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, each felony count of lewd conduct holds a maximum life prison sentence.