SHOSHONE COUNTY, Idaho – A registered sex offender is back behind bars more than 20 years after he was arrested the first time.
62-year-old Kenneth Bennett was convicted of two counts of lewd conduct in Shoshone County in 2004.
While he was on parole, the mother of one of his victims, Pamela Nearing, saw him with a young man who appeared to be underage.
Nearing told NonStop Local she confronted Bennett, who molested her son more than twenty years ago, telling NonStop Local the damage he did to her family is still there decades later. “I will say this until the day that I am dead until I take my last breath: I am willing to die fighting this fight,” Nearing said. Nearing was on vacation with her family at Quinn’s Hot Springs when she saw a face that had haunted her for decades. “Oh my gosh, I think that’s Ken Bennett, my son’s predator,” Nearing said. The crime against Nearing’s son, who doesn’t share her last name, happened more than 20 years ago. Nearing said she knew that Bennett’s release terms did not allow him to leave the state of Idaho. Nearing told NonStop Local Bennett was with a man who appeared to be a minor. She said that after seeing the young man, she was compelled to confront Bennett. “Nothing has changed. You still like them, young Bennett,” Nearing said. The young man Bennett was with turned out to be 19, but Nearing still urged him not to leave with Bennett. “I knew instantly when I touched that young boy’s car and begged him not to get in his car, and he looked at me and said ‘Ken is my boss’,” Nearing said. Bennett has been working at Lookout Pass Resort since 2017. NonStop Local spoke to General Manager Brian Bressel, who said they were aware Bennett was a registered sex offender when they hired him. However, when Nearing called them Bressell took immediate action and called authorities. “He was suspended immediately and in further investigation, leading towards termination,” Bressell said. Nearing said although she is angry, she has grace for Lookout and authorities. She said that she supports stricter laws regulating sex offenders. “We can’t blame Lookout Pass, we can’t blame the state, but what we can do is create stiffer and stronger laws that hold these people accountable,” Nearing said. According to our partners at the Spokesman-Review, the Shoshone County Jail confirmed Bennett was jailed on a felony warrant for a parole violation.
