Harbin accused of child sexual assault

Judge John A. Mercer set a trial date of Jan. 13 for a Polson man accused of assaulting a child.

Russell Norman Harbin, 50, entered a plea of not guilty in District Court at Polson Sept. 12 to felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent and sexual assault. The charges carry a maximum of life in prison.

According to court records the alleged abuse began on Jan. 24, 2022, when the alleged victim was 11 years old, and continued until Aug. 29 of this year. The state, represented by Lori Adams with the Lake County Attorney’s Office, objected to an own recognizance release arguing that the abuse occurred weekly during the two-year span.

Judge Mercer agreed and maintained bail at $50,000.