Boise man convicted of 7 felony sex crimes involving children, including sexual abuse
After a five-day trial in Ada County, jurors on Tuesday found 52-year-old Gunnar Bjorn Ericsson guilty of seven felony sex crimes involving children, and they acquitted him of one charge.
Jurors found Ericsson guilty of one count of sexual abuse of a child younger than age 16 and six counts of felony possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, the abuse charge he was found guilty of stemmed from an incident in 2010 during which Ericsson sexually abused a 12- or 13-year-old child when he was 43.
The jurors found Ericsson not guilty of a second charge of sexual abuse of a child younger than age 16.
Ericsson was arrested in September 2018 and remains in custody at the Ada County Jail.
Prior to the trial, prosecutors had dismissed an additional five felony charges Ericsson was facing.
Fourth District Judge Deborah Bail presided over the trial, and Ericsson is set for sentencing at 2 p.m. Feb. 5.
The conviction for sexual abuse of a child younger than age 16 is punishable by up to 25 years in prison and each count of child pornography possession is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Need help?
The Faces of Hope Victim Center is available for victims in need of emergency services at 417 S. 6th St. in Boise. Victims should call 911 in emergencies or call 208-577-4400 on weekdays during business hours. Faces of Hope provides free medical care and forensic examinations for victims, as well as assistance with filing police reports and mental health care after an assault.
Survivors who may need help are encouraged to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
