Montana Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on March 8, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, MATTHEW PAUL LOVES HIM, a 30-year-old resident of Poplar, appeared for sentencing. LOVES HIM was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 70 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: five years
LOVES HIM was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to sexual abuse.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On December 13, 2007, in Poplar, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, a female hereafter referred to as “AB” had passed out from drinking. When she awoke, LOVES HIM was on top of her performing a sexual act. AB threw him off her and then hit and scratched him. Both were undressed from the waist down. When AB passed out, she had been fully clothed.
AB immediately left the scene, walked to a neighbor’s house, and called the police. AB consented to a sexual assault exam which confirmed rape and the presence of semen in her vaginal cavity. The exam also found tearing consistent with rape.
Law enforcement interviewed LOVES HIM on the same day. LOVES HIM admitted that he had sex with AB while she was passed out. He admitted to raping AB. He said that he should have known what he was doing was wrong. LOVES HIM acknowledged that AB hit and scratched him because she did not want to have sex with him. He said he should go to jail. He concluded the interview with the statement, “I did it and I’m guilty.”
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that LOVES HIM will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, LOVES HIM does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation Division, the Poplar Police Department, and the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office.
(Source: FBI)
