SANDPOINT — In a courtroom filled with over 25 people, a well-known Naples man who pleaded guilty to lewd conduct has been sentenced to serve 22 years in prison for the crimes.  

Richard Cowell III was sentenced to serve a total of 22 years in prison — 17 years determinate and five years indeterminate — for felony charges of criminal conspiracy and lewd conduct with a minor under 16. 

He will get credit for 274 days of time served. 

Cowell entered an Alford plea for the charges as part of a pretrial settlement, where a charge of rape of a minor was amended to lewd conduct. 

Under an Alford plea, a defendant admits no wrongdoing but concedes that a guilty verdict could result following a trial. The plea is treated no differently at sentencing than a standard guilty plea.     

During a time set aside for sentencing, two victim statements were read to the full courtroom, each sharing the negative impact that Cowell has had on their lives.  

Louis Marshall read the first statement for the female victim, sharing how she lived her childhood in fear, terrified if she spoke up about Cowell’s abuse.  

“It broke us trying to always please you, walking around on eggshells, never being able to come to you, scared when you walked in, knowing what mood you were in, just by hearing your footsteps. All that happened behind closed doors when no one was around,” read Marshall for the woman.  

She further wrote about her regrets of not saying anything about Cowell’s actions sooner, noting that he was a “monster” behind the facade he put up in front of the community.  

“I can’t even imagine putting a child in that position, I only wish you knew how much you hurt me and how this impacted my life. You should be ashamed of yourself and what you did to us. You stole a part of me, and I can never get that back,” she wrote.  

A second victim impact statement was read by a male, who also spoke about Cowell’s lack of accountability for his abuse of the victims.  

“I can't recall a single time when you took responsibility for your actions, you made excuses for your failed friendships, pushed your family away when confronted about poor choices and refused to humble yourself to receive the guidance of wiser and more knowledgeable people. Throughout this process, I hoped to see a change, that you might own up to what you've done. Instead, you continue to act as a coward,” he said.  

He further noted the healing that he’s felt through Jesus Christ, citing Revelations 21:8, stating that “the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”  

As he finished his statement, the man told the court Cowell’s actions could never be justified, arguing that he should never be allowed back in society for reflecting behavior of a psychopath.  

Marshall shared short sentiments before recommending a sentence, noting the breach of trust between Cowell and the victims could be seen in how they addressed him and his wife in the courtroom and through their statements.  

When given a chance to speak to the court, Cowell apologized to his family and the victims before mitigating the accusations against him. 

“There are a lot of things that have been said that are not true, I’m not a child molester,” said Cowell.  

District Judge Susie Jensen noted Cowell’s conduct, stating that probation wouldn’t be effective for him because of his lack of accountability for the crimes he committed.  

“I think you have to take full accountability and recognize what your actions were and the effect they've had, and the effect they have,” said Jensen.  

Before handing down the 22-year sentence from the bench, Jensen commended Cowell for pleading guilty to the crimes and not dragging the victims through a jury trial.  

Cowell’s wife, Katherine Cowell, is still scheduled for a jury trial Dec. 8 for two counts of lewd conduct with a minor for allegedly conspiring with her husband to sexually abuse a minor, the same act that Richard was sentenced for.  

“A plea in Richard Cowell’s case does not legally impact Katherine Cowell’s presumption of innocence in any charges she may be facing,” said Boundary County Prosecuting Attorney Andrakay Pluid, who is not involved in either case. “From a practical standpoint, it could make a defense more challenging.”  

Police arrested Richard and Katherine Cowell on Feb. 5 at their Naples home, which doubled as an unlicensed child daycare.  

The married couple opened Little Zookeepers Daycare in 2019, but the alleged child abuse took place between 2012 and 2015, according to court records. The daycare announced its permanent closure Feb. 11, six days after the arrest.  

During a joint preliminary hearing March 17, the alleged victims testified they were coerced into sexual relations with the couple as minors.

The first victim alleged that he was coerced into a sexual relationship with Katherine Cowell when he was between the ages of 15 and 17 years old. He told the court that he felt prompted to come forward after recognizing similar behaviors in other children to those that he experienced during the alleged abuse.   

The day after the couple was arrested, the second victim came forward, informing law enforcement that she had faced coercion from Richard Cowell for a sexual relationship from ages 14 to 20.