BOISE, Idaho — A 58-year-old man will serve life in prison after sexually abusing a minor between 2018 and 2019.
Joseph Ribich was sentenced on July 6 by Ada County District Judge James Cawthon to three concurrent fixed life sentences for three counts of lewd conduct, according to a press release from the Ada County Prosecutor's Office.
After an investigation, Ribich was charged with four lewd conduct with a minor under 16 charges, two counts of sexual abuse of a minor under 16, intimidating a witness, delivering a controlled substance and distributing a drug to a person under the age of 18, the press release said.
In April, a jury found him guilty of seven of the nine charges along with violating the sex offender registry. Ribich was later acquitted on one lewd conduct charge and one witness intimidation charge.
"This sentence Judge Cawthon handed down emphasizes the seriousness of these offenses and sends a message that those who prey on children will be held accountable for their actions," Ada County Prosecutor, Jan Bennetts, said. "Thank you to the Boise Police detectives who worked hard on this investigation."
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