Columbia Falls man pleads out in sex assault case
A Columbia Falls man accused of two separate sex crimes against a developmentally disabled female and a 6-year-old boy pleaded guilty to one offense Friday afternoon in Flathead County District Court.
Ronald Braxton Dougherty, 20, originally was charged with sexual intercourse without consent after he allegedly forced a girl, then 15 years of age, to have sex with him sometime between Oct. 1, 2019, and Nov. 6, 2019.
But on Friday, Dougherty pleaded guilty to one count of felony criminal endangerment after Flathead County Deputy Attorney Andrew Clegg and the defendant’s court-appointed attorney, William Managhan, worked out a plea deal.
Dougherty took the witness stand and admitted to creating serious bodily injury to the victim.
The plea deal calls for a deferred sentence of six years for Dougherty. Dougherty originally faced a term of 20 years to life in the Montana State Prison on the rape charge.
Dougherty will be sentenced at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 29.
District Court Judge Amy Eddy, who accepted the amended charge and plea deal, told Dougherty he must report to the county’s adult probation and parole office to complete a pre-sentence report.
Dougherty also thanked the involved parties for “trying to keep me out of trouble” and also said he would make it a top priority to stay on his medication.
According to charging documents in the first case, the Columbia Falls Police Department received a report Nov. 6, 2019, about the assault. The girl suffers from developmental disabilities, cognitive impairment and she routinely sees a behavioral therapist.
The girl told the therapist she had sexual intercourse with an older man. The girl was interviewed by police and she said Dougherty was an acquaintance and they were together at a Columbia Falls residence.
A Columbia Falls police detective interviewed Dougherty Dec. 6, and he allegedly admitted he had sex with the girl. Also, other officers said Dougherty allegedly asked them several times what the ramifications would be for having sex with a person younger than 16 years of age.
On the other rape accusation involving the 6-year-old boy, charges were filed against Dougherty on May 10, 2021.
According to the charging document, the Sheriff’s Office received a cross report on May 14, 2019, from Child Protective Services of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, regarding a possible sex assault that occurred between the end of summer and end of fall in 2018.
In that case, Flathead County Deputy Attorney Renn Fairchild and Managhan agreed to keep the case in District Court.
“We don’t think it would be in his best interest for it to be in juvenile court because of a lack of services,” Managhan said. “He (Ronald) has had death threats made against him and a rock was thrown through his window.”
Dougherty was arraigned on that charge Friday and pleaded not guilty.
Judge Eddy set a pretrial hearing for the case on Sept. 22.
Dougherty faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in the Montana State Prison on the rape charge involving the 6-year-old boy.