COEUR d’ALENE — A man who pleaded guilty to molesting two children will spend time in prison.

Joshua R. Welden, 42, of Coeur d’Alene, pleaded guilty in accordance with Alford to two counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16. The crimes are felonies punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

By entering an Alford plea, Welden did not admit guilt but acknowledged that enough evidence exists to convict him at trial.

First District Judge Scott Wayman sentenced Welden this week to 10 years in prison, with two years fixed and eight years indeterminate.

That means Welden will be eligible for parole in two years.

The charges stem from June 2020, when the child of Welden’s former fiancee disclosed that Welden had sexually abused him over a six-month period.

The abuse occurred between 2011 and 2012, according to court documents, while the child’s mother was at work.

The boy told investigators that Welden molested him and forced him to perform sex acts on a regular basis.

Welden also reportedly forced the boy to perform sex acts with a sibling.

The children were between the ages of three and six years old when the abuse occurred, according to court documents.

Police arrested Welden last June on two counts of lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16, both felonies that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Prosecutors later amended the charges as part of a pretrial settlement offer.

In a statement that was read aloud to the court prior to sentencing, the mother of the victims said Welden “poisoned” her children.

“You’ve hurt my kids, but this will not define us,” she said. “My family is strong. I am strong and my kids have already shown you that they are way stronger and smarter than you.”

She recalled the heartbreak she felt when her child told her, through tears, about the abuse he endured at Welden’s hands.

The family is still healing, she said.

“Your selfish, deceitful ways have landed you exactly where you belong,” she said. “I’m just sorry to my children that it took this long.”