Neighbors Want Retired Boise Priest Facing Child Sexual Exploitation Charges Evicted from His Home

By Dean Johnson
7KTVB
February 7, 2018

http://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/neighbors-want-retired-boise-priest-facing-child-sexual-exploitation-charges-evicted-from-his-home/277-516274512

A retired Boise priest facing multiple felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child bonded out of the Ada County Jail Tuesday night, the Ada County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

Sheriff's office spokesman Patrick Orr said Father W. Thomas Faucher - a retired priest at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Boise - bonded out at around 6 p.m. His bond was set at $250,000.

Some neighbors are now calling on his landlord, Saint Mary’s Parish, to evict him.

Those neighbors are aware of an Idaho law that says, if a landlord has reasonable grounds to believe any person is or has been engaged in the unlawful delivery, production or use of a controlled substance on the leased premises, the landlord can move to evict that tenant.

Father Faucher was also charged with possession of marijuana and ecstasy, which some of Faucher’s neighbors say gives the church grounds to evict him.

“Shock and surprise and fear are always the first feelings I think you have,” Wendy Wong said.

Wong has lived just a few doors down from Father Faucher for more than a decade.

“There's not a ton that we can do as a neighborhood,” Wong said.

Wong feels St. Mary’s, the church Faucher has a rental lease agreement with, should evict him. She cites the fact that they live just a block away from Cynthia Mann Elementary School in northwest Boise. Wong also claims the charges of possession of marijuana and ecstasy warrant an eviction.

“I think it is unfair of the landlord to say because he pays rent he can stay. I know there are other ways to get a tenant out that have nothing to do with rent and I would like to make sure that we're at least exploring all of those options before we decide that this is where he needs to be,” Wong said.

According to the Idaho Attorney General’s Landlord and Tenant Guidelines, if there are reasonable grounds to believe someone used illegal drugs on a leased property, a landlord can choose to evict.

KTVB knocked on Father Faucher’s door Thursday to see if he had any comment.

“I didn't know if you had any comment, your neighbors had some concerns,” KTVB asked.

“Nope, I’m fine. Thank you. If you have anybody you want to talk to you need to talk to my lawyer,” Faucher said.

We reached out to Faucher’s attorney Mark Manweiler. He declined to comment on the case.

“I just want to make sure in this case, that the landlord, who happens to be the church, is doing everything they can to make sure that a dangerous person isn't living half a block from an elementary school,” Wong said.

KTVB also reached out to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise, which provided us this statement:

"The concerns of the nearby neighbors are paramount to us. However, until new developments take place in the case, we have no further comment."

Faucher is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 15.