Latah County 2nd Judicial District Court Judge John Stegner ruled Wednesday morning that convicted sex offender Steven Sitler will still not be allowed to reside with his family.
Sitler served one year with the Idaho Department of Corrections and less than a year in the custody of the Latah County Jail after he was sentenced to life in prison with retained jurisdiction in September 2006 after pleading guilty to lewd conduct with a child under 16 under a Rule 11 plea agreement with the state of Idaho.
Sitler was released from prison with a life term of probation. Sitler’s probation prohibits him from having contact with anyone under the age of 18.
Following his release, he married and had a child. He was removed from the home after admitting during a polygraph test last September to having “contact with his child that resulted in actual sexual stimulation.” At that point a judge ordered Sitler must have an approved chaperone within direct line-of-sight anytime he was with his child. Sitler has been living in a motel the past 11 months.
In addition to asking the court to allow Sitler to resume living with his wife, Katie Sitler, and the couple’s son, attorneys also asked that Katie Sitler and Dave Sitler, Steven Sitler’s father, be reinstated as approved chaperones for when Steven Sitler is visiting his child. Stegner reinstated Katie Sitler but denied Dave Sitler.
Both lost their statuses as chaperones after they failed to report incidents and disclosures involving Steven Sitler. Roxanne Sitler, Steven Sitler’s mother, was reinstated as an approved chaperone in January.
Stegner said during Wednesday’s hearing that reunification of the family should be the goal, and experts, including those at Valley Treatment Specialties and Dr. Gregory Wilson, said Katie Sitler should be allowed to be a chaperone.
Stegner said he denied Dave Sitler’s request to be a chaperone because he did not see evidence to approve him as a chaperone.
