UPDATE:: Father in Kester sex abuse case sentenced to up to life in prison
Lester Kester Jr., a Caldwell father convicted of sexually abusing his daughters and another female relative, will be in prison at least until he’s 80 years old.
Kester, two weeks shy of turning 49, was sentenced to up to life in prison Wednesday on five lewd conduct charges. Thirty-one of those years will be served before he’s eligible for parole.“I think that reflects the sentence you’ve imposed on your own children,” said 3rd District Court Judge Bradly Ford during the sentencing.
UPDATE:: Kester mother sentenced for failing to report husband's sexual abuse of daughters
The mother accused of failing to report her husband's sexual abuse of their children was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, but will first serve a rider program.
Sarah Kester, 51, hung her head as 3rd District Court Judge Christopher Nye ordered her to first serve a rider program. She could serve a decade in prison, with four of those years fixed if she fails the rider program, he said.
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The daughters are now in their teens and 20s, and one talked about being a mother, herself.“I'm being the mother she could never be, and we don’t need her in our life anymore,” one daughter said.The youngest victim said Sarah Kester did everything a mom was supposed to do “except protect your daughters.”
UPDATE:: Idaho faith healer accused of molesting 5 children pleads guilty, faces prisonA Caldwell mother arrested last week told deputies her religious beliefs prompted her to pray for her husband rather than tell police about his alleged sexual abuse of their daughters.
A 48-year-old Canyon County man accused of molesting five children over two decades has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
Lester Kester pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd conduct with a child younger than age 16 in court on Wednesday.
Kester was charged in July with four felony counts of lewd conduct with a child younger than 16. In October, he was charged with a fifth count of lewd conduct with a child younger than 16 for abuse of another child that came forward. He faced up to life in prison on each count, if convicted.
Third Judicial District Judge Bradly Ford accepted Kester’s guilty plea after explaining that Kester was waiving some rights. Ford asked Kester directly if he did, in fact, commit these crimes.,,,Kester’s wife, Sarah, 50, was accused of knowing about the alleged abuse and not reporting it. She was charged with felony injury to a child. Sarah Kester pleaded guilty though an Alford plea last month. In an Alford plea, she does not admit guilt, but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a jury to convict her.
Sarah Kester and her husband, Lester Kester Jr., are affiliated with the Followers of Christ Church. The church, which has a prominent following in Canyon County and in Oregon, faces criticism for refusing medical care for children and adults in favor of faith healing.
After her July 11 arrest, Sarah Kester told deputies from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office that she didn’t tell police about her husband’s alleged abuse because it was against her belief system to involve agencies such as law enforcement, child protection services, or counseling services into personal or family matters, according to a sheriff’s office press release.
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Instead of contacting law enforcement, Sarah Kester told deputies she tried to protect her children by praying for “the demon” to leave Lester and keeping her husband busy with other tasks, according to a press release from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the release, Lester Kester Jr. told detectives on July 11 that he had been consumed by a “bad guy” or a “demon” and admitted to various forms of sexual contact with all four of his daughters until they were approximately 10 to 12 years old.
Caldwell couple arrested in child abuse case part of faith-healing church | Complete news coverage | idahopress.com
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