POCATELLO — A 21-year-old local man was arrested recently after police say he sexually abused a 15-year-old girl.

Robert Michael Wilson, of Pocatello, has been charged with one count of felony lewd conduct with a child for engaging in various sex acts with the teenage girl between August 2021 and May 2022, according to court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

Pocatello police first began investigating the incident in August 2021. The alleged victim participated in a forensic interview at a local child advocacy center but did not disclose details of the abuse.

Police began investigating again after receiving information about the incident from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in June 2022.

The alleged victim in the case participated in another forensic interview in June 2022, during which she disclosed Wilson forcing her into a sexual relationship, according to police records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

The victim told the child advocate interviewer that Wilson groomed and manipulated her and also abused her physically and emotionally, police said. The girl also told the investigator that Wilson sexually abused her while she was sleeping, police said.

In August 2022, investigators working an unrelated case obtained thousands of Snapchat messages between the girl and Wilson after serving a search warrant.

The chat conversations showed that a sexual relationship between the alleged victim and Wilson existed, police said.

Police attempted to locate Wilson and interview him about the allegations but were unsuccessful and the case was ultimately forwarded to the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Wilson was officially charged on Sept. 28, 2022, and arrested in November of last year. His bond was set at $50,000.

He waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Nov. 30, 2022, and the case was elevated from the magistrate to district court level in advance of trial, court records show.

Wilson was arraigned on the felony lewd conduct charge in district court in December, according to court records.

Wilson’s Pocatello attorney, Rilie Fry, filed a motion last month to have Wilson released from jail on his own recognizance. The 6th District Judge handling the case, Rick Carnaroli, denied the motion.

Wilson’s case is set to head to trial on April 4.

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