GREAT FALLS – Former Valley County Undersheriff Luke Strommen pleaded not guilty to a felony sexual intercourse without consent charge in District Court in Glasgow on January 14.
TheGlasgow Courier reports that Strommen also maintained his plea of not guilty on an earlier charge of felony sexual abuse of a child from October.
As a result of the plea and in light of the new charges, Missoula-based Judge Jon Larson vacated trial dates set in May and will allow both counsels for Strommen and the State of Montana to pursue trial dates in the future, likely to be set over the coming summer.
Amended court documents state the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was contacted in November 2018 regarding an additional victim of a sexual offense alleged to have been committed by Strommen.
The victim indicated her first sexual contact with Strommen was in a hotel room in Great Falls when she was 14-years-old.
The victim stated the sexual relationship progressed and lasted until she moved from the area two years later. She also told investigators that Strommen had intercourse with her over 50 times, with most of the encounters occurring in Strommen’s Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle.
The earlier charge of felony sexual abuse of a child involved a victim with whom Strommen was having a consensual affair with, which began when she was 17-years-old.
Strommen was charged in that case because he allegedly solicited and received explicit images of the girl via email while she was still under the age of 18.
On Monday, Strommen was released without bond or bail and his restrictions were revised to allow him to now pick up and drop off his children from school on school property as long as it is 15 minutes before school starts or 15 minutes after school releases.
Those conditions loosened a stipulation that Strommen would drop off and pick up his children at a “safe and convenient location” off of school property, according to the Glasgow Courier.
Strommen was also allowed to keep internet access and have a smartphone. He is court mandated to carry that smartphone with him at all times to serve as an improvised GPS monitor for the court. Strommen will still be allowed to be in the presence of persons under the age of 18 as long as he is supervised by an adult at the time.
Click here to read more about Strommen’s January 14 court appearance.
