Man arrested for lewd conduct with a minor under 16
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho Falls Police detectives apprehended David Sherill on April 9 in Kissimmee, Florida, for felony lewd conduct with a minor child under 16, a crime that was committed in Idaho Falls.
Sherill, a 29-year-old resident of West Valley, Utah, was arrested on a felony warrant for that offense and was held in a Florida Jail until Wednesday when he was transferred to the Bonneville County Jail.
On August 11, 2020, the Idaho Falls Police Department received a report from a daycare employee that a 5-year-old child had disclosed to their parent that a former employee of the daycare had sexually abused them. The daycare reported the employee in question, Sherill, had been fired from the daycare in June of 2020 for failing to comply with repeated directions from staff to stop asking the children for hugs and asking them to sit on his lap.
Idaho Falls Police detectives began an investigation into the disclosure, and in a forensic interview at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, the child disclosed multiple incidents of Sherill touching her genitals in the bathroom at the daycare.
Idaho Falls Police detectives worked with staff at the daycare to identify other possible victims at the daycare, speak to parents of those children and conduct additional interviews. Another child, who did not disclose abuse during the interview, stated she had observed Sherill go into the bathroom with children when the other workers were not present.
Idaho Falls Police detectives conducted an additional investigation and determined Sherill had a juvenile criminal record in Arizona. That record showed Sherill was arrested and convicted of sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl in Phoenix, Arizona in 2006 when Sherill was 15-years-old. The description of the abuse in the 2006 Arizona case was similar to the abuse described by the 5-year-old child in Idaho Falls.
While this investigation was occurring, Sherill became aware of the investigation after someone with information about the allegations (not a law enforcement officer) posted about it on social media. Shortly afterwards, Sherill fled the area.
Idaho Falls Police detectives attempted to locate Sherill while continuing the investigation and requesting a warrant through the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office. Detectives ultimately tracked Sherill to Florida.
In April of 2021, a warrant was issued and IFPD made arrangements to travel to Florida to apprehend and interview Sherill. IFPD worked with the Orlando Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to locate Sherill in Kissimmee, Florida where he was taken into police custody.
The Idaho Falls Police Department would like to thank the Orlando Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Violent Crimes Unit, and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in locating and apprehending Sherill, and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for transporting Sherill back to Idaho Falls to undergo the judicial process in Bonneville County. IFPD would also like to thank the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center for their expertise and partnership in serving adult and child victims of sexual assault in our community.
