SANDPOINT — A Sagle man has been arrested on allegations that he sexually abused a pre-teen child in Bonner County.

Forrest Perry Hammond is charged with three counts of sexual abuse of child under the age of 16 and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct. He made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Wednesday via videoconferencing with the jail.

Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Smith recommended Hammond be increased from $40,000 to $100,000 because Hammond has been accused of similar charges in a previous state he lived in.

"This is not the first time this has occurred," Smith told Judge Tera Harden on Wednesday. "Mister Hammond clearly poses a risk to the public."

Harden set Hammond's bail at $50,000 and appointed a public defender to represent him. In addition to a no-contact order in the case, Harden forbid Hammond from being in the company of minors even if adults are present.

"I have concerns of risk to the public," Harden said.

Hammond is accused of fondling the girl's breast and genitals in 2016 and 2018. The allegations surfaced in November, after the girl's parents found a note in which she alluded to suicide and noticed sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Investigators had one the child's parents conduct a recorded confrontation call in which Hammond admitted touching the girl inappropriately, but denied touching her genitals. He asked for mercy and said he was not deserving of a prison sentence, a deputy's affidavit said.

The allegations in the other state appear to date back to the 1980s. There is no record of him be prosecuted for the offense, according to that state's online courts database.

The Daily Bee is leaving out certain details such as geographic locations and exact ages in order to protect the identity of the alleged victim in the Bonner County case.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com or followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee