Pocatello man pleads not guilty after woman tells police he raped her in 2021

CHUBBUCK — A 37-year-old man pleaded not guilty to rape Monday after a woman reported she had been his victim in 2021.

Orion Woelm is charged with felony rape where there is resistance, but the resistance is overcome by force or violence.

According to court documents, on March 30, 2024, a woman went to the Chubbuck Police Department to report Woelm had raped her in February 2021.

The woman told officers she did not immediately report the rape because they were in a relationship and Woelm was in the military.

According to the woman, she had been in therapy and felt it was time to talk to the police about the incident.

Police reports say that on the night of the alleged rape, the woman and Woelm had been fighting all day. When they went to bed, Woelm asked the woman if she wanted to have sex.

The woman told officers she said no repeatedly. She said Woelm got angry, reportedly “threw a CPAP machine” and screamed at her before forcibly raping her.

Two days later, the woman stated that Woelm sent her a “generic apology message” that did not specifically mention the alleged rape. She also showed police text messages from March 30 of Woelm apologizing again.

According to the woman, Woelm moved into a trailer in the driveway after the rape. One day, Woelm reportedly changed all the locks on the house so the woman couldn’t get into her home. She then filed for a protection order against him.

In April, the woman provided police with multiple voice recordings of her and Woelm talking, where in one, he allegedly admits to the rape.

Police reports say Woelm mentions that “he was sorry for crossing (the woman’s) boundaries and told (the woman) he wished he had more info about how she felt about the incident and how it changed their relationship.”

He then reportedly apologized “for what happened and mentioned that it was not premeditated and he was not being evil” and “if he knew what he was doing, he would’ve stopped.”

The woman responded that she believed he knew what he was doing and explained that “she told him no five times.”

On Aug. 20, officers reached out to Woelm via phone and informed him that they were contacting him about the alleged rape in 2021. Woelm stated he “did not know for sure what (the officer) was talking about” and then said he needed a lawyer.

Shortly after, he told the officer that he wanted to ensure they knew the two were in a relationship at the time of “the incident.”

Woelm was summoned to court but was not arrested. He is expected to appear for a jury trial on April 15. If convicted, Woelm could face up to life in prison.

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

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