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BY SOPHIA ALDOUS
OF THE MINER
NEWPORT — A Pend Oreille River School teacher pleaded not guilty in Pend Oreille County District Court Monday, June 8, on charges of incest first and second degree and second-degree sexual misconduct with two teenage males.
Amber Swain, 35, is the director and teacher at Pend Oreille River School, Newport School District’s alternative high school.
Incest second degree and sexual misconduct with a minor second degree both carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Incest first degree has a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Each of the charges carries a domestic violence tag. According to Washington State law, a DV tag is added to an underlying criminal charge indicating the offense was committed against a family member, household member or dating partner.
According to public records read in court, the count of incest first degree is said to have been committed on or between Nov. 1, 2025, and Jan. 23, 2026. Incest in the second degree is said to have been committed between Jan. 1, 2026, and April 1, 2026.
District Court Judge Robin McCroskey set bail at $20,000 at Swain’s first court hearing Wednesday, June 3. McCroskey also ordered Swain to not have any contact with minors and, if she made bail, to maintain weekly contact with her attorney, have zero law violations and not leave the state of Washington.
Defense attorney Dereck Reid requested that an exception order be made for Swain’s three youngest children regarding no contact with minors. He asked that Swain be allowed contact as long as the visits were only via telephone or Zoom and under the supervision of Swain’s parents.
McCroskey said she would allow Swain to visit with the children provided she followed the stipulations of no in-person contact, the visits must be supervised, the case would not
SEE SWAIN, 2A
Amber Swain, director and teacher at Pend Oreille River School, the Newport School District’s alternative high school program, made her first appearance in court Wednesday, June 3 on charges of incest and sexual misconduct. Her arraignment was Monday.
MINER PHOTO|SOPHIA ALDOUS
