A Meridian man has been booked into the Ada County Jail after police say he solicited a minor for a sexual favor.
The arrest is the result of a “complex, six-month investigation,” said Garden City Police Detective Jayme Dozier.
Joshua Shook, 42, became acquainted with the then 17-year-old victim two years ago, through his employment at a Garden City car dealership. Police did not identify the dealership, and it is unclear if Shook is still employed there. Police say Shook asked the victim for a sexual favor in trade for “benefits,” but Dozier would not go into detail about what the benefits entailed.
Police were told of the alleged crime by the victim’s mother, shortly after she learned about it late last summer.
A number of search warrants were issued during the ensuing months, so police could learn more “about the communication between the suspect and the victim via their electronic devices,” Dozier said.
Shook now faces charges of inducing a person under the age of 18 into prostitution, and sexual battery of a minor. Both are felonies.
“This appears to be an isolated incident, but there’s always the possibility there could be other victims out there,” Dozier said.
If you know anything about this or similar crimes, you’re urged to contact the Garden City Police Department at 208-472-2950.
