Man who exposed himself at Polson parade sent to state mental hospital

A 33-year-old Hot Springs man convicted of felony indecent exposure to a minor following a 2019 incident in Polson was sentenced Feb. 10 to five years and set for transfer to the supervision of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Jonathan Dell Tifft will undergo evaluation by officials at the state mental hospital in Warm Springs, Mont., where they will determine the appropriate venue for him to serve his sentence.

Lake County District Judge James A. Manley handed down the five-year sentence with no time suspended. Tifft will receive credit for 503 days of jail time he served at the Lake County Detention Facility.

According to charging documents, Tifft exposed himself to several girls on a float during the Polson High School homecoming parade through Polson. Multiple girls reported to an adult on the float that they’d witness Tifft expose himself. Law enforcement officers were alerted, and Tifft was detained near the site of the parade. He initially admitted to watching and following the parade but denied exposing himself.

Prosecutors said many of the young witnesses were too embarrassed to give a statement. Of the seven girls who gave statements, six were age 14 and one was 15.