Bigfork man accused of sexually assaulting Columbia Falls girls, others

A Bigfork man has been accused of sexually assaulting two young girls.

Brian Christopher Emerson, 41, is lodged in the Flathead County Detention Center on felony charges of sexual assault of a minor and sexual intercourse without consent.

Emerson’s alleged offenses were against one girl who was 11 years old at the time and a second girl who was 14 years old.

His bond was set at $100,000. The maximum sentence for both offenses is 100 years each in the Montana State Prison.

According to charging documents, a woman with the Flathead County Child Abuse Hotline, reported a sexual assault to the county Sheriff’s Office. The report involved a 14-year-old female at a Columbia Falls residence.

During a forensic interview, the victim said Emerson touched her repeatedly in a inappropriate way on a night in August 2020, even after she told him to stop.

The other victim reported being sexually assaulted from the ages of 11 through 16 several times between 2014 and 2020 at locations throughout Flathead County, including Ferndale, Olney and Columbia Falls.

Emerson’s arraignment is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 12 in Flathead County District Court.

He is also scheduled for a bail modification hearing.

Emerson said in a court document he can’t afford any amount of bail and wanted to be released on his own recognizance with GPS monitoring.