COEUR d'ALENE - A Kootenai County court bailiff will now face five felony counts in 1st District Court for sex acts with an underaged girl.

Jack D. McPike, who turns 31 Sunday, appeared before a judge Friday, and waived his preliminary hearing. McPike was in an orange jail suit and shackles.

McPike, of Athol, lost his job as a bailiff when he was arrested May 17.

The preliminary hearing had been scheduled to determine whether there is enough evidence against him to warrant a trial in District Court.

After the hearing was waived, Magistrate Robert Burton bound McPike over to District Court on one count of sex crimes against nature, two counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16, and two counts of sexual abuse of a child under 16.

The case was assigned to District Court Judge Steve Verby.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall is handling the case because of McPike's previous employment with Kootenai County.

Marshall and McPike's public defender, Anne Taylor, said Friday they have already reached an agreement on a plea deal in which McPike would plead guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a child.

They also said the deal would include dismissal of the four other charges.

McPike told the court he understands the deal and accepts it.

However, Judge Verby will have to accept it before it's finalized, Marshall said.

Taylor said she might be able to better the deal for her client at some point in the future.

A date has not been set for McPike's arraignment.

He continued to be held Friday at the Kootenai County jail on $50,000 bond.

The sex acts he's accused of committing allegedly occurred with a family member, and started as early as 2006.