Convicted rapist accused of not registering with state

A Lake County man with no permanent address, who was convicted of rape in the 1990s and ordered to register with the state as a sexual offender, is accused of not doing so.

Phillip James Pierre Jr., 63, entered a plea of not guilty in District Court in Polson Nov. 6 to failure to register.

According to court records, Pierre was convicted of sexual intercourse without consent for raping a 13-year-old girl. Upon his release from incarceration, Pierre was required to register with the state’s violent or sexual offender program.

In arguing against setting a lower bond, Lake County Attorney James Lapokta said Pierre has a history of failing to register as required by law.

Judge Molly Owen set the case for trial on May 5. Pierre remains in the Lake County Jail with bail set at $10,000.