UPDATE: Former North Idaho College financial aid director held i - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

UPDATE: Former North Idaho College financial aid director held in Kootenai County Jail

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Bekken, 36, was arrested on Wednesday by the Coeur d' Alene Police Department for allegedly offering NIC students grant money in exchange for sexual favors through Craigslist ads. Bekken, 36, was arrested on Wednesday by the Coeur d' Alene Police Department for allegedly offering NIC students grant money in exchange for sexual favors through Craigslist ads.
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -

Joseph M. Bekken, a former North Idaho College Financial Aid Director, is being held on a $100,000 bond in Kootenai County Jail. Bekken, 36, was arrested on Wednesday by the Coeur d' Alene Police Department for allegedly offering NIC students grant money in exchange for sexual favors through Craigslist ads.

During his first court appearance, Bekken asked the judge to lower his bond, telling him, "I'm not a flight risk, I'm not going anywhere."

Bekken was charged with five felonies including misuse of public money and attempting to procure a prostitute.

According to police documents through the Coeur d' Alene Police Department, officers were notified by the FBI of ads targeting NIC students. FBI Agents and Spokane Detectives working internet crimes responded to ads that said "Hello, I have a proposition for NIC students." The message detectives received was "I have some grant money that I can get applied to your account. I just look for some fun in return."

With the approval of NIC President Joe Dunlap Coeur d' Alene officers created a fake student account and responded to the NIC ads again. The response officers got back was the same as before, "I have some extra grant money to allocate. Just looking for some potential fun on the side." Officers asked what they would have to do and were told, "I'm completely open. Sex, oral, etc...watching."

Officers set up a time and place to meet the person who had been posting the ads, Bekken was the one who arrived. He was met by officers and taken to the Coeur d' Alene police department for questioning. During interviews with police Bekken admitted that he got the idea to offer grant money for sex a few semesters ago, but this was the first time he'd ever had a willing participant. Documents go on to say that Bekken admitted at his previous job at Grand Canyon University in Arizona that he would often use Craigslist for sexual encounters.

Prosecutors in court today say it's this information that leads them to believe that this behavior may have been going on for years. They notified the judge that there could be the potential for future charges filed as well as federal charges.

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