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Former Idaho Lawmaker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Multiple Girls

Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman

In newly released documents, three girls say former State Rep. Brandon Hixon sexually assaulted them for several years.

These documents from the Idaho Attorney General's office show police had been investigating Hixon since April of 2017.

A neighbor’s daughter accused Hixon of abusing her while he and his then-wife babysat her from kindergarten until she was in the second grade.

He met with his ex-wife, Danielle Eirvin Hixon, in Meridian in August, which she recorded, after he learned of those allegations. Hixon told her to tell the state prosecutor she didn’t witness any crimes.

“If you [expletive] told that prosecutor right up front that you…never [expletive] seen anything, this whole thing, literally, could go away because he won’t [expletive] have anything and it’s just going to be her word against mine,” he said. "You aren't [expletive] saying anything that's not true."

"Did you do it?" Eirvin Hixon asked. "Be honest."

"I'm trying to [expletive] think back on what I possibly could've [expletive] done to do that for this...to come out," he said after a lengthy pause.

Hixon told her to answer a Caldwell Police detective's questions "favorably" if he contacted her. He then quickly asked her if she needed money and promised her $2,500 when he sold a house he had been renovating.

“You’ve got me eating out the [expletive] palm of your hand right now. It’s you. You’re the one with the [expletive] power here,” Hixon said.

The child’s mother noticed she was upset after church one day in April 2016 and asked her what was wrong. “Brandon Hixon is a bad man,” she replied, saying he had touched her the last time she spent the night at his house.

Her mother didn’t report this to anyone, telling detectives her daughter had previously told fake stories and didn’t want to “[ruin] someone’s life.” About a year later, the girl told the story to a school counselor, who contacted the state.

She claims Hixon would have her sit on her lap, put a blanket over them and touch her.

A few months later, Eirvin Hixon asked a relative if he had ever assaulted her. She broke down in tears and said Hixon raped her from the time she was four or five years old until she was a teenager, according to investigators.

“… it happened so often that she could not give an exact number of times,” according to state documents.

She says she didn’t tell anyone about the alleged abuse until this past October out of fear that Hixon would harm another member of the family.

Eirvin Hixon was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury earlier this month, but state officials called off the investigation after the former legislator died by suicide.

Caldwell Police had looked into an earlier complaint in 2014, which accused the former state lawmaker of touching a four-year-old relative.

Forensic examiners could not substantiate whether she had been abused and police dropped the inquiry.

Hixon denies the allegations throughout the documents. He abruptly resigned his seat in the Idaho House of Representatives last October after the accusations came to light.

In its report into his death, Caldwell Police said, “Hixon has attempted suicide three times in the recent past, but was unsuccessful.”

If you or someone you know exhibits the following signs, seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or by calling or texting the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline at 208-398-4357: • Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself. • Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun. • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live. • Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain. • Talking about being a burden to others. • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs. • Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly. • Sleeping too little or too much. • Withdrawn or feeling isolated. • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge. • Displaying extreme mood swings. • Preoccupation with death. • Suddenly happier, calmer. • Loss of interest in things one cares about. • Visiting or calling people to say goodbye. • Making arrangements; setting one’s a airs in order. • Giving things away, such as prized possessions. • Themes of death or depression in conversation, writing, reading or art.

For more local news, follow James Dawson on Twitter @RadioDawson

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I cover politics and a bit of everything else for Boise State Public Radio. Outside of public meetings, you can find me fly fishing, making cool things out of leather or watching the Seattle Mariners' latest rebuilding season.

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