Lincoln County sheriff resigns; faces 7 felonies, including rape and sexual abuse of a child

Lincoln County Sheriff Rene Rodriguez resigned Monday afternoon, three days after he was arrested and charged with rape, sexual abuse of a child and lewd conduct with a minor, according to the (Twin Falls) Times-News.

Rodriguez, 40, of Shoshone, appeared in court from the Blaine County Jail on Monday afternoon, according to the Idaho Mountain Express. He faces seven felony charges: one count of sexual abuse of a child younger than age of 16, four counts of lewd conduct with a minor younger than age 16 and two counts of rape.

He was booked in Blaine County on Friday. If convicted, he could face multiple life sentences.

The charges stem from crimes that are alleged to have occurred between August 2005 and August 2014 in Lincoln, Jerome, Twin Falls and Blaine counties, according to the Idaho Mountain Express.

Rodriguez reportedly had his resignation letter accepted by the Lincoln County commissioners, who had amended their meeting agenda to address the issue, describing it as an emergency situation, according to the Times-News.

The Lincoln County Republican Central Committee will now submit three candidates for sheriff to the county commissioners for their consideration, according to the Times-News.