Assault charge filed after 'peck'

SPRAGUE — A “peck” on the lips between a local teenage boy and an 11-year-old girl Aug. 20 led to a sex crime charge.

The 16-year-old Sprague boy was arraigned Oct. 8 in Lincoln County Superior Court for fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, a gross misdemeanor. He was released to the custody of his guardian and is prohibited from traveling outside of Lincoln and Spokane counties.

Conditions of his release also include a 7 p.m. curfew and no contact with the girl he kissed, records show.

The Journal made the decision to withhold the teenager’s name, even though it is a matter of public record.

According to court records, family friends brought their 11-year-old girl to the home of the boy’s guardian on Aug. 20. Between 7:30 and 8 p.m., the boy and girl were found alone in a bedroom.

The guardian contact police concerned about the incident; she noted the boy had been told only hours before that it was inappropriate for him to be texting a 13-year-old girl. Court records show the boy was also previously accused in the rape of a 17-year-old girl on Feb. 9, 2023.

Court records show police called the kiss a “peck” on the lips, with both the boy and the young agreeing to the description.