POCATELLO — A 36-year-old local man was arrested last week after police say he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl on two separate occasions during the same day while temporarily residing at her family’s home.

Richard Ray Vernieu, of Blackfoot, has been charged with two felony counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16 and two felony counts of sexual abuse of a child under 16, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

The incidents occurred Oct. 3, 2025, at a Pocatello residence, where Vernieu was temporarily staying in a camper on the property, police said. The girl and her brother lived at the residence with their mother and stepfather, according to court records.

The first incident occurred in the upstairs living room of the residence. Vernieu sat down next to the girl on the couch, offered to massage her legs for pain and placed a blanket over her, police said. Underneath the blanket, Vernieu placed his hand under her clothing and began touching her inappropriately, according to court records. When the girl cried out in pain, Vernieu told her to “chill out, it’s just a massage,” police said.

The girl’s brother was present in the living room at the time, pretending to be asleep on a nearby pillow. He observed Vernieu rubbing the girl’s legs and pushing her clothing up and heard her cry out in pain, according to the police report. Officers noted that whenever the brother stirred or moved from his feigned sleep, Vernieu would immediately pull his hands back into his own lap, the report says.

The second incident occurred later that same day in a basement bedroom of the residence. Vernieu suggested to the girl that they take a nap and pulled her under the bedroom covers and again touched her inappropriately, this time more aggressively, police said.

The girl attempted to pull Vernieu’s hand away, but he stiffened his arm to keep his hand in place, the report says.

The brother told officers he had followed Vernieu and the girl downstairs and ensured the bedroom door stayed open. Concerned for his sister’s safety, he laid down on the bed directly between Vernieu and the girl to keep them separated, according to the police report.

The girl later disclosed to her brother what Vernieu had done, and the brother contacted their mother that same night to report what he had witnessed, police said.

Following the initial disclosure, the girl’s mother confronted Vernieu in his camper trailer about his behavior. Vernieu subsequently came inside the residence and, with the mother present, apologized directly to the girl for making her feel uncomfortable, claiming he did not realize he was doing anything wrong and stating that if she had not liked his actions, she should have told him to stop, police said.

The girl made an initial disclosure to police on March 26 and participated in a forensic interview at a local child advocacy center on April 22 during which she provided a detailed, consistent and age-appropriate disclosure of the abuse, according to court records. The girl’s brother also participated in a forensic interview on May 14, where his account fully corroborated his sister’s, police said.

On May 29, the girl’s mother participated in a recorded pretext telephone call with Vernieu. During the call, Vernieu acknowledged that he had given the girl massages both upstairs and downstairs and that the massages occurred in October, police said. He further admitted that he went “too high on her leg” and acknowledged that he understood how what happened might have been inappropriate, though he denied having sexual intent, according to court records.

Vernieu was arrested later that same day and transported to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello. He appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge David A. Hooste via video conference from the Bannock County Jail for an arraignment hearing Monday where his bond was set at $50,000 and a no-contact order was issued between him and the victim.

Vernieu is scheduled to appear in court again on June 10 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.

If convicted, both lewd conduct charges Vernieu faces carry a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Both sexual abuse of a child under 16 charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.