Missoula Man Gets 10 Years for Rape

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A District Court judge exceeded the recommended sentence for a man charged with raping two teenage girls last spring, citing a recently announced Department of Justice investigation into how sexual assault cases are handled in Missoula.

The Missoulian reports 26-year-old Russell Scott Avery pleaded guilty in February to a single count of sexual intercourse without consent as part of an agreement that dropped another rape charge and a sexual assault charge. The deal recommended a 30-year sentence with the Department of Corrections with 25 suspended.

Under such a sentence, the agency determines where to place an offender.

On Tuesday, District Judge Dusty Deschamps sentenced Avery to 30 years in prison with 20 suspended.

Deschamps said Avery had to complete the first two phases of sexual offender treatment before being eligible for parole.