Man faces charges in 2013 rape

 A Bigfork man was charged with rape Jan. 20.

The alleged rape took place during late summer of 2013 and involved two Bigfork girls under the age of 16 years at the time of the attack, a Lake County court affidavit said.

The accused rapist, a Bigfork man who is more than four years older than his victims, will face arraignment Jan. 28 in Lake County district court.

The alleged rape occurred shortly after sundown at a Flathead Lake cabin just before the 2013-2014 school year began, the affidavit said. The two girls were playing outside and the defendant told the two girls that it was “time to come in for the night,” Lake County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Eschenbacher said in the court affidavit.

The girls complied with the man and went to a downstairs bedroom where the defendant told them to sit. The alleged rape involved one of the two girls, with whom the defendant took physical unwanted liberties while she protested, the affidavit said. The second girl was ordered to participate but refused, the affidavit said.

The rape ended after a family member walked downstairs, the records said.

Once the man left the room, the two girls fled to another location. “Having escaped the assault, the two teenagers went into another bedroom where they cried about what just happened,” the affidavit said. “The two teenagers were confused and did not know what to do. Because of fear of repercussions to the family members, they kept the secret of their attack from friends and family.”

The victim did not speak of the incident until confronted about her symptoms of depression.

“It was at that time that (the victim) finally felt comfortable enough to relay the events of the night,” the affidavit said.