North Idaho man’s life sentence for rape upheld

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Court of Appeals has upheld the life sentence of a man who pleaded guilty to drugging and raping a vulnerable 16-year-old girl. The Bonner County Daily Bee reported today that the court on Nov. 8 affirmed the conviction and sentence of 41-year-old Dean Duane Stevens Jr. Stevens argued that 1st District Judge Steve Verby abused his discretion by imposing excessive sentences. Authorities say Stevens supplied the teen with methamphetamine before raping her in 2009 in a remote cabin north of Ponderay. Police say Stevens took the girl to the cabin after she agreed to pose for nude photographs in exchange for money. Verby imposed a fixed life sentence on the rape charge after Stevens entered an Alford plea.