Dog saves teen during attempted sexual assault, police say

By Kaitlyn Hart

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    IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — A Shelley man who allegedly tried to sexually assault a teenage girl in her sleep was stopped by her dog.

Christopher Hannah, 26, was charged with felony sexual battery of a minor after an incident at an Idaho Falls hotel on Oct. 25. He was arrested this month.

On Oct. 26, Idaho Falls Police officers followed up on a case where a 16-year-old said she has been touched inappropriately.

The girl told police that when she woke up that morning, Hannah was on top of her, telling her to take the dogs out. When she tried to get up, Hannah reportedly refused to get off of her.

Court documents state that Hannah started to put his hands up her shirt and told her, “It’s only weird if you make it weird.”

The girl told officers that she was “screaming and crying for him to get off her.” She said Hannah continued to try to put his hands up her shirt, and she kept trying to push him away.

This was when one of the dogs began barking and clawing at Hannah.

While Hannah was distracted by the dog, the girl got away and locked herself in the bathroom, according to the police report.

Hannah was interviewed by police on Nov. 8, where he stated that he was actually “kneeling on the floor next to (the victim)” by her feet. He told police he was “trying to wake up (the victim) to take the dogs out and was reaching over her to grab her blanket.”

His recollection of events changed, and he said he was “reaching up towards her head” to get her blanket. Hannah said this is why his body was on top of the teen’s.

When asked if the girl ever told him to stop, Hannah responded that she “didn’t specifically say get off but was yelling at him to leave her alone and stop messing with her,” according to court documents.

Hannah then admitted to officers that there had been a physical fight, saying, “Oh yeah, she kicked at me a couple times.”

He told officers that he didn’t recall reaching or touching the victim’s stomach and that her shirt “may have risen up a bit when she was moving around.”

Officers told Hannah that he was no longer allowed to return to the hotel due to the allegations against him. Records also state that Hannah never asked officers what the allegations against him were about.

A warrant was issued for Hannah’s arrest on Dec. 19, and he was booked into the Bonneville County Jail, where his bond was set to $10,000.

A no-contact order was issued for the victim. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Though Hannah has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Hannah on Jan. 10 at 1 pm.

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