WALLACE – An Osburn man is facing up to life in prison following his arrest last Friday. 

Maxwell Burrell, 52, was taken into custody on Aug. 29 and charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16. 

The charges stem from allegations made by three separate victims: Burrell’s former stepdaughter and two children he previously babysat at his Osburn home. The incidents date back to 2019, with the most recent allegedly occurring in February. 

According to court records, Osburn Police were alerted after a detective with the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office received a criminal complaint filed with the Post Falls Police Department detailing the alleged abuse. 

In a probable cause affidavit, Burrell initially denied the accusations but later admitted to sexual contact with two of the victims, claiming they were the aggressors. Both victims were under 10 years old at the time. 

When questioned further about one of the incidents, Burrell allegedly said, “I’m not gonna say it happened. I’m not gonna say it didn’t happen. It’s a possibility.” 

The affidavit also states that Burrell underwent two polygraph tests conducted by Northwest Polygraph Services in Hayden, under the supervision of examiner Mike Calderwood. Calderwood reported that he believed Burrell was being deceptive in both tests. 

During his first court appearance on Tuesday, Magistrate Keisha Oxendine set Burrell’s bond at $200,000. 

If convicted, lewd conduct with a minor under 16 carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and requires lifelong sex offender registration. 

Burrell’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m.