A 62-year-old Kootenai County man accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women over several years has entered a not guilty plea to a series of felony charges, according to court records. Michael T. Moore faces counts of rape, attempted rape, and delivery of a controlled substance following allegations spanning 2016 and 2017.
Allegations Span Multiple Victims
Prosecutors allege Moore used his North Idaho property and promises of employment and housing to gain access to vulnerable women, then drugged and assaulted them.
The first alleged victim, who had begun working as a ranch hand on Moore’s property about a week before the incident, told authorities that Moore gave her an unknown substance that caused hallucinations and then sexually assaulted her while she was intoxicated. That assault was reported to have taken place in 2016.
Two additional women came forward with similar accounts in 2017. The second alleged victim said Moore hired her while she was experiencing homelessness, offering both a job and a place to live, before drugging and raping her. The third woman said she had responded to an online advertisement offering a studio apartment in exchange for work, and was also allegedly drugged and assaulted. Moore told police the encounter with the third woman was consensual.
A neighbor corroborated concerns about the property, telling investigators that multiple women had cycled through Moore’s residence over time. On at least one occasion, a woman came to the neighbor’s home in distress, saying she had no vehicle to leave and that Moore “expected sex” from her.
Fugitive Captured Abroad After Years on the Run
Moore fled to the Philippines during the course of the investigation, before formal charges could be filed against him. The case drew involvement from the U.S. Marshals Service, which coordinated with Philippine authorities to locate and detain him.
Moore was arrested overseas earlier this year, deported back to the United States, and transported to Kootenai County. He was booked into the county jail in May following a two-day preliminary hearing that resulted in his case being bound over to district court.
He remains held on $1 million bail.
What Comes Next
With Moore now entered into the district court phase of proceedings, the case will move toward pretrial motions and, ultimately, a trial date. The three felony charges — rape, attempted rape, and delivery of a controlled substance — each carry significant sentencing exposure under Idaho law if Moore is convicted.
The case highlights the dangers that can accompany online advertisements and informal employment arrangements, particularly for women in vulnerable circumstances. Residents with information relevant to the case or any similar incidents in Kootenai County are encouraged to contact the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
For more on violent crime in the region, see coverage of a fatal shooting in Spokane where a teen intervened during an alleged attack on his mother.