Lodge Grass man sentenced for sexual assault

A Lodge Grass man was sentenced in District Court in Polson Aug. 7 to the Montana State Prison for 15 years with 10 years suspended for sexually assaulting a minor. Jordale Stephen Not Afraid, 34, reached a plea agreement during an earlier court appearance.

Judge Molly Owen had rejected an initial agreement that called for a 10-year sentence with five years suspended after learning more about Not Afraid’s criminal history through a pre-sentence investigation.

According to charging documents, the incident occurred April 15, 2021, and involved a “Jane Doe” who was 13 years old at that time. When Not Afraid was questioned by BIA Special Agent Shawn Smith, he admitted to the allegations made by “Jane Doe.”

In addition to the 15 years MSP term, the judge recommended that Not Afraid complete the state’s sex offender treatment program after being designated a tier-two level sex offender. Judge Owen also gave Not Afraid credit for having served 216 days in jail.