Plea deal reached in SE Idaho teen marriage case

POCATELLO, Idaho — A plea agreement was reached with a 28-year-old woman charged with engaging in sexual relations with a 16-year-old boy she said she plans to marry, officials said. Deputy Prosecutor JaNiece Price told the Idaho State Journal that Thursday’s plea deal with Amanda E. Lindstrom reduced the charges to two counts of misdemeanor injury to a child. “We have kind of an uncooperative victim, although he did not want to call himself a victim,” Price said. “We decided to do some kind of plea bargain that made her accountable as well as, hopefully, send a little bit of a message that you can’t be doing that.” Under Idaho law, it’s a felony for any person at least five years older than a child of 16 or 17 years of age to engage in sexual conduct with the child. A 16-year-old can marry with the written consent of a parent. The mother of the boy said in court documents the parents approved of the marriage plans. Lindstrom told Bannock County investigators she met the boy online two years ago, and she and her two children moved to Pocatello in March to live with the boy and his parents. Lindstrom was arrested on Sept. 2 and charged with felony sexual battery of a minor for her alleged relationship with the boy. She is set for sentencing Sept. 30.