POCATELLO — A 42-year-old local man was recently arrested after police say he inappropriately touched a 12-year-old child at a Pocatello warming shelter in February.

Burdette Taylor Johnson, of Pocatello, was arrested and charged on July 14 with one felony count of lewd conduct with a child following a police investigation that initially led to him being cited for misdemeanor battery and then trespassed from the First Congregational United Church of Christ warming shelter in February, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

The alleged offense occurred at the warming shelter on North Garfield Avenue in Pocatello. The investigation involved officers responding to the warming shelter the evening of Feb. 7, interviewing the victim, a member of the church overseeing the warming shelter and the child’s mother. The pastor of the church later provided video of the incident to Pocatello police officers.

While initially cited for battery, the charge was recently corrected to the felony lewd conduct charge.

Johnson appeared in front of 6th District Magistrate Judge David Penrod for an arraignment hearing on July 15, during which his bond was set at $150,000.

He is due back in court on July 29 for a preliminary hearing that will involve local prosecutors attempting to prove there is enough evidence against him to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.

If convicted of all of the felony lewd conduct charge, Johnson faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000

Johnson was convicted of felony aggravated driving under the influence in Bingham County in 2006 and felony attempted strangulation in 2009 in Ada County, court records show.

Bannock County prosecutors intend to pursue a Persistent Violator enhancement against Johnson due to his prior felony convictions, which could extend any prison sentence levied against him by no less than five years and up to life.