Former Lewiston state Representative Aaron von Ehlinger was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday, four months after a jury found him guilty of raping a 19-year-old House intern last year.
The sentence imposed by Ada County District Court Judge Michael Reardon included a minimum term of eight years, plus an indeterminant term of 12 years, a $5,000 civil penalty, and just over $2,000 in restitution and court costs.
The 39-year-old von Ehlinger has acknowledged the sexual encounter at his apartment following a dinner date in March, 2021. However, he has maintained the interaction was consensual.
Von Ehlinger was initially appointed to the Legislature following the death of Representative Thyra Stevenson. He was then elected in the 2020 general election.
He resigned in April 2021, after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured and suspended without pay for conduct unbecoming an Idaho representative. (Lewiston Tribune)
