POCATELLO — A Bannock County Judge condemned a 51-year-old local man as a “sexual predator” with “some of the most reprehensible conduct” he had ever seen while sentencing him to multiple life terms in prison without parole for sexually abusing a now-teenage girl for much of her young life.

Sixth District Judge Javier Gabiola delivered the sentences against Pocatello area resident Jonathan Ryan Alexander during a Thursday afternoon hearing at the Bannock County Courthouse. He told Alexander he would “spend the rest of your life in prison” and that it was “exactly where you deserve” to be.

“You are a sexual predator,” Gabiola told Alexander, who, while wearing shackles and an orange Bannock County Jail jumpsuit, shook his head side to side in apparent disagreement during the sentencing. “Shake your head no, that’s true. You can deny that till the cows come home, but that is what you are. That’s exactly what you are.”

Gabiola admonished Alexander for his refusal to take ownership of the girl’s prolonged abuse at his hands when rendering the maximum possible penalties for each of the 22 felony charges he was convicted of following a June trial.

His convictions include 11 counts related to producing, possessing or inducing a child to participate in child exploitative material, six counts of sexual abuse of a child, two counts of rape, two counts of lewd conduct and preparing false evidence.

“I sat through this trial, I saw the evidence, “Gabiola said. “And still to this day, as (Bannock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor) Mr. (Jonathan) Radford correctly states, you deny that this happened, you deny that you did any of this. You have no remorse.”

A Bannock County jury consisting of seven men and five women deliberated for just over two hours before convicting Alexander following a three-day trial.

At sentencing, Gabiola imposed life in prison without the possibility of parole on four counts — two rape charges and two lewd conduct charges. He also imposed fixed prison terms of 30 years on four child exploitation charges, 25 years each for the sexual abuse of a child charges, 10 years each for seven child exploitation charges, and five years for preparing false evidence.

The judge also ordered Alexander to pay a $1,000 fine for each count, submit a DNA sample, register as a sex offender and pay about $2,000 in restitution to the victim. He imposed a permanent no-contact order and noted the victim was present in the courtroom gallery.

“I observed your victim, and it’s clear that your actions have impacted her and will continue to impact her for the rest of her life,” Gabiola said.

The case began nearly three years ago when Bannock County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a disturbance call at a Pocatello-area home in December 2022. The then-14-year-old victim told a female deputy that Alexander had been sexually abusing her for years. The deputy assisted the girl in telling her mother, and she later participated in a forensic interview at a local child advocacy center.

During the June trial, the victim testified as the first witness, describing abuse that began when she was approximately 8 years old. Key evidence included forensic analysis of Alexander’s phone, which revealed approximately 1,000 files, with the vast majority consisting of child sexual abuse material depicting the victim. Most of the material was stored in a folder titled “keepsake photo vault.”

A sheriff’s detective testified about identifying Alexander in videos through voice matching and a distinctive ring he wore. The detective became emotional on the stand when videos were presented to the jury. Several jurors appeared visibly uncomfortable during the presentation of evidence.

At sentencing, Radford argued for life sentences without parole, calling the case “egregious” and describing the defendant’s conduct as calculated and perpetrated over a significant period. Radford emphasized Alexander’s continued denial of responsibility and victim blaming in sentencing materials.

“Given the defendant’s inability to take responsibility for his actions and his persistence in victim blaming and his continued insistence on defenses that are absolutely ridiculous, the state simply has no faith that this defendant can ever be maintained in the community in a manner that is consistent with community safety,” Radford told the court.

He highlighted results from a full-disclosure polygraph examination that indicated deception on questions about the abuse. Radford said the state was “certain that if this man is released from custody at any time, we’ll have another victim.”

Defense attorney John Michael Rousseau Malek, contracted as conflict counsel for the Bannock County Public Defender’s Office, asked for a shorter fixed term with a lengthy indeterminate sentence to allow for rehabilitation. Malek cited a pre-sentence investigation that rated Alexander as moderate to low risk to reoffend and argued his client had rehabilitation potential.

“What I’m asking the court to do today is to allow for rehabilitation of my client,” Malek said, suggesting a five-year fixed term with a 35-year indeterminate sentence, though he said his client would accept a life sentence.

Malek said he trusted the parole board to evaluate rehabilitation progress and determine appropriate punishment, noting that Alexander was willing to accept judgment and participate in treatment. He argued that a lengthy fixed sentence might discourage investment in rehabilitation programs.

Alexander declined to make a statement to the court before sentencing.

The victim and her mother attended the hearing but did not make impact statements. Both had been present during closing arguments at trial, where the victim became emotional at several points. The Idaho State Journal learned following the sentencing that the victim was commended for her bravery to take the stand and testify against Alexander, receiving a special challenge coin from the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office recognizing her courage.

Gabiola rejected the defense’s rehabilitation argument, stating, “I find that if I placed you on probation, you would find someone else to commit the same conduct. You are a danger to society, and you deserve to be in prison.”

The judge noted Alexander was described as “less amenable to treatment” in a psychosexual evaluation and referenced a full-disclosure polygraph that revealed he was deceptive.

“You will receive treatment, Mr. Alexander, but that will be in prison,” Gabiola said.

Alexander — whose shackles rattled as he shifted about, appearing uncomfortable throughout the hearing — has been held at the Bannock County Jail since his December 2022 arrest.

He has 42 days to appeal the sentences to the Idaho Supreme Court.