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Flathead County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually
your
Assaulting Teenage Girl
Noah Lavern Powell was accused of sexually assaulting two minors
authorities that Powell had touched her on multiple occasions the pervious year. The girl also said that Powell allegedly told her “don’t tell anybody what I’m going to do to you” prior to assaulting her.
The report of the assault on the 11-year-old came the same month Pow- ell was charged with sexual intercourse without consent following an incident with a 13-year-old girl in late 2014.
In that case, the girl told authorities that her mother was dating Powell at the time and in early October she spent time at his home in Kila. During one of those visits, Powell gave the girl alcohol and marijuana before raping her while she was intoxicated.
Powell pleaded not guilty to both counts of felony sexual assault with
intercourse.
This year, Powell signed a plea agree-
ment where he would plead guilty to an amended charge of sexual assault in the case involving the 13-year-old girl. The case involving the 11-year-old was dismissed.
According to the plea agreement, pros- ecutors will recommend a 40-year sen- tence to the Montana State Prison with 30 years suspended. Prosecutors will also recommend that before being eligi- ble for parole, Powell will complete sex- ual o ender courses.
Prior to sentencing, on Aug. 11, he will complete a sexual o ender evaluation.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
A Flathead County man has admitted that he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 2014.
Noah Lavern Powell pleaded guilty on May 11 to an amended charge felony sexual assault in Flathead County Dis- trict Court. Powell was accused of rap- ing two girls in 2014. A second charge of sexual intercourse without consent was dismissed with prejudice in accordance with a plea agreement signed earlier this spring.
According to court documents, the Kalispell Police Department received a report of an assault on June 18, 2015 from a mother who said Powell victimized her daughter. The 11-year-old girl told
BRIEFS
Students le into the common area for lunch at Flathead High School in Kalispell.
BEACON FILE PHOTO
Students Face Trespassing, Criminal Mischief Charges
for Flathead Vandalism
Authorities plan to request trespassing charges for a major- ity of the students involved in the vandalism at Flathead High School while three individuals could face felony criminal mis- chief charges, according to law enforcement o cials.
Following an investigation, Cory Clarke, the Kalispell Police Department’s school resource o cial at Flathead, said he planned to submit his nal report early this week request- ing the charges. The school district could level separate pun- ishment during a special meeting with the board of trustees in the coming weeks.
Clarke said all but two of the suspects were over 18.
A total of 21 students were caught on surveillance cameras in Flathead High School during an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of May 10. All but one of the students was wearing a mask, but authorities were able to identify suspects in subsequent interviews.
Clarke said the students intended to conduct a senior prank, which the school district has explicitly warned against in recent weeks. Clarke said the group tried to push open a window at the school before it broke, allowing entry. Initially, the incident involved students lling cups with water and throwing sawdust,
toilet paper, silly string and cellophane throughout the halls, Clarke said. Pretty soon the incident escalated after a few stu- dents began damaging the school, ripping water fountains from the walls, breaking vending machines and two windows. A statue on loan to the school was also broken.
The extent of the damage is still being assessed but it is esti- mated to be “in the thousands” of dollars, according to school o cials.
A criminal mischief charge escalates to a felony after exceeding $1,500 in damages.
So-called senior pranks are not uncommon at high schools in the nal weeks before graduation, and Flathead and Gla- cier administrators have explicitly warned students and fam- ilies about the unaccepted behavior. A pamphlet mailed last week to families with graduating seniors stated, “Individuals will be held accountable for senior pranks that promote ille- gal activities at school. This includes actions that are disrup- tive, distracting, incompatible, or harmful to school operations. Depending upon the severity of the illegal activity, the disci- pline consequence may include suspension or expulsion, and exclusion from the graduation ceremony.”
“We don’t condone (senior pranks) in any way, shape or form. But this is clearly way beyond a prank. It was illegal activity. There was deliberate damage,” Kalispell Superintendent Mark Flatau said earlier this week.
“This is just really unfortunate.”
Trial Set for Baseball Player Accused of Rape
A man accused of raping a woman in White sh last summer is set to go to trial next month.
Eric Cordova is expected to go to trial on June 6. The trial is expected to last four days.
Cordova came to White sh last year to play baseball for the now-defunct Glacier Outlaws, an upstart team in the Mount Rainier Professional Baseball League.
According to court documents, Cordova allegedly raped a woman that he met in downtown White sh on the night of May 24, 2015.
Cordova pleaded not guilty to the charges in June 2015. If con- victed, Cordova faces nes up to $50,000 and 100 years in prison. news@ atheadbeacon.com
MAY 18, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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