Student sex offender, 19, charged

BOZEMAN – A 19-year-old who was suspended from Belgrade High School after it was discovered he was a registered sex offender has been charged with violating his probation.

Court records say the man was kicked out of required sex-offender treatment in June for poor attendance, not finishing his assigned work and not paying his bill.

He was suspended from school and temporarily given “homebound instruction” until school officials can determine what kind of risk he poses to other students, Superintendent Herb Benz said.

The man pleaded guilty in May 2005 to one count of rape involving a 10-year-old boy. Three other sex charges, including another rape charge, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

District Judge Holly Brown put him on probation until he turns 21 and ordered him to complete outpatient sex-offender treatment.

During a hearing earlier this month, the man’s attorney, Mariah Eastman, told the court that he was looking into alternative sex-offender treatment programs.

Benz said the Belgrade School Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday in a closed hearing to decide if the 19-year-old and a 15-year-old registered sex offender should be allowed to attend classes there.

School officials didn’t know two registered sex offenders were attending classes until fellow students saw the pair listed on the state’s online sex offender registry.

The state attorney general’s office said state law does not require local police departments to notify schools if a sex offender enrolls in classes.