A Silver Valley man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two of his children. Robin Bainter, 37, received a sentence of six years fixed and six years indeterminate at the Shoshone County Courthouse on Monday, with Judge Lansing Haynes presiding over the case involving child sexual abuse in Kootenai County’s Silver Valley region.
Case Background and Charges
Bainter was arrested in October after allegations of child sexual abuse were reported to Osburn Police Officer David Bishop. He initially faced four counts: two counts of sexual abuse of a minor under 16 and two counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16. He entered a not guilty plea in November but accepted a plea agreement in March that substantially reduced the charges against him.
Under the agreement, prosecutors dismissed two counts of lewd conduct and one count of sexual abuse. Bainter ultimately pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual abuse of a child under 16. The maximum penalty for that offense carries a potential sentence of 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Evidence and Victim Testimony
According to court documents, Bainter touched one victim inappropriately on multiple occasions. He admitted to the conduct both during police interviews and in text messages to the victim’s mother. One of the victims testified at a pretrial hearing regarding the allegations.
Deputy Prosecutor Britney Jacobs acknowledged the victim’s difficult position, saying “She did a wonderful job. But I know that that caused her even more harm.”
Judge’s Departure From Recommended Sentence
The prosecutor’s recommended sentence under the plea agreement was 18 years—six years fixed and 12 years indeterminate. However, Judge Haynes departed downward from that recommendation and also disregarded the wishes of one victim’s mother when imposing the final sentence.
In his decision, Haynes cited Bainter’s lack of prior criminal history and noted that the offenses were not classified as violent crimes as factors supporting the reduced 12-year term.
One victim’s mother expressed deep frustration with the sentence, stating: “No amount of effort can restore what was broken. My (child) should not have to carry a life sentence for what he did to her, while he, as the responsible person, receives anything less than the maximum accountability permitted by law.”
Impact on Kootenai County
The case highlights ongoing child protection concerns in the North Idaho region. Similar cases of child abuse have surfaced in Kootenai County in recent months, including a Rathdrum father arrested in a severe child beating that hospitalized his daughter with kidney failure and a Kootenai County man extradited from the Philippines to face rape charges.
What Comes Next
Bainter is now serving his sentence in the Idaho Department of Correction. No information has been released regarding appeals or post-conviction motions at this time. The case remains part of the broader record of child sexual abuse prosecutions in Shoshone and Kootenai counties.