County resident pleads innocent to child sexual battery charges

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County resident has recently pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault stemming from an alleged February 2024 incident.  

Jerrod Paul Fournier, 47, is charged with three felony counts of sexual battery of a minor committed through lewd conduct, where the alleged victim was at least five years younger than him. Documents indicate that the girl was 16-17 years of age.  

Court documents contend that Fournier committed the alleged battery in early 2024, inappropriately touching the victim by way of “lewd and lascivious” acts. 

The maximum penalty for those charges is life in prison, where Fournier could face three times the maximum if found guilty by trial on all three counts.  

Fournier was arrested mid-June on a $50,000 bond, for which he posted within that same time period. 

Fournier was originally scheduled for his first arraignment hearing June 26, but due to it being vacated, the hearing was rescheduled for July 1. During the July 1 hearing setting, a continuance was requested, pushing the arraignment to a July 31 setting. At that time, Fournier entered a not guilty plea on all three charges against him.  

A pre-trail conference is scheduled to take place Dec. 29, with a five-day jury trial slated for Jan. 12, 2026.