Leon McGuire - Repeat Sex Offender - Multiple Victims

A Jerome man who confessed to molesting an adopted son in 1984 is now accused of doing it again to as many as five other boys.

Leon McGuire, 62, bonded out of the Jerome County Jail Monday. He was charged Friday with two counts of child sex abuse and lewd and lascivious conduct for allegedly sodomizing the 11-year-old relative of a Jerome neighbor in September. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

McGuire may also have molested four other boys, according to Jerome County 5th District Court records, though "it does not appear any of these cases were charged."

In 1984, McGuire was arrested for having a sexual relationship with an adopted son. He pleaded guilty to a count of lewd and lascivious conduct and was imprisoned for about six months by the Idaho Department of Correction.

McGuire was released from parole in 1985, according to IDOC, though he is not named on Idaho's online sex offender registry.

McGuire declined comment when reached Tuesday by the Times-News.

But authorities say he denied wrongdoing during an April police interview, where he allegedly admitted to knowing the 11-year-old boy.

"If there are any leads he (a Jerome County investigator) would certainly follow up on that," said Jerome County Sheriff Doug McFall about other possible victims.

Magistrate Thomas Borresen on June 9 dismissed one count of lewd conduct with a child that was previously made against McGuire.

In court records filed June 14, Borresen said the 11-year-old boy's demeanor "was obviously supportive of the fact that something traumatic had occurred to him."

However, Borresen also wrote that the child's rendition of the alleged sex crime seemed physically improbable.

"In rejecting (the child's) testimony, this court would have to come to the conclusion that (the child) got on the stand, was sworn to tell the truth and then concocted all of the events that he testified to during the hearing with no evidence being presented as to any motivation or ill will that (the child) may have had against Mr. McGuire to make untrue allegations."

McGuire has a pretrial conference set for Sept. 14, and his jury trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 30.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte