Student says Bekken gave her financial aid for sex photos

A female college student told a Coeur d’Alene police detective that she received financial aid money in exchange for giving photos of a sexual nature to former North Idaho College financial aid director Joseph M. Bekken. Bekken already is facing five felony charges in his alleged scheme to entice students to have sex in exchange for college aid. A Kootenai County prosecutor said this week that additional charges may be filed in the case. Bekken, who posted bond and was released from jail Tuesday, will appear March 19 before 1st District Court Magistrate Clark A. Peterson. Coeur d’Alene Police Officer Gus Wessel, who is assigned to NIC as a school resource officer, met with and interviewed the female student who claims Bekken paid her for the pictures using financial aid funds. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jedediah Whitaker said in court Tuesday that Bekken is suspected of using federal funds to obtain the photos. Bekken was arrested Feb. 18 and charged with five felonies, including attempting to procure a prostitute, attempting to misuse public money and bribery using scholarship money from NIC’s private nonprofit foundation. He allegedly used a Craigslist notice to contact students with an offer of scholarship money in exchange for sexual relations. Investigators created a false student account to respond to the solicitation, and Bekken allegedly secured $587 from the foundation for the fictitious student with the understanding he would go to her apartment to have sex with her on Feb. 2. Police confronted and interviewed him, and the college fired Bekken that day. Bekken also allegedly lied to an FBI agent when he said during a police interview that he had never used college funds for improper purposes aside from the incident that led to his charges, Whitaker said. That could bring an additional charge of lying to a federal agent, he said.