No Plea Agreement For Man Convicted of Raping 7 and 8 Year-Old Girls

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A state judge in Helena has rejected a plea agreement that called for a suspended sentence for a man who had been charged with raping his girlfriend's young daughters.

Justin Gale Walker of Hamilton had been charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent involving two girls, ages 7 and 8. He pleaded no contest in July to felony criminal endangerment.

District Judge Kathy Seeley expressed concern that Walker was not accepting responsibility with his "no contest" plea. The girls' mother complained about the recommended 10-year suspended sentence and said her daughters were willing to testify.

Seeley gave Walker until Monday to decide if he wanted to go to trial on the rape charges or be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Walker decided Friday to stick with his no contest plea to criminal endangerment, despite the judge's pledge that he would receive the maximum penalty as a result.