Grand Old Police Blotter: Dasen Abused Edition

Richard Dasen of Kalispell, Montana, stands accused of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. Dasen denies the charge, and has pleaded not guilty.

On Thursday, Dasen, 61, was arraigned by District Judge Stewart Stadler.

Represented by attorney George Best, Dasen confirmed who he is, pleaded not guilty and began the process of requiring prosecutors to prove their case against him.

If convicted, he faces up to 100 years in prison.

Theoretically speaking.

It is also alleged that Dasen really likes sex:

Kalispell police have said that Dasen spent $1 million on extravagant payments to women for sex over the past 20 years. He allegedly spent $140,000 in December alone.

Wow. That's Karl Rove/Ed Gillespie/Marc Raiciot money.

How on earth can you spend four grand a day on sex? In Montana?

The rape charge is based on an allegation that he paid two teenage girls to perform sexually for him and then performed sex acts on at least one of them. The rape charge was filed because one of the girls was under 16, the age of consent in Montana.

One woman, Kimberly Neise, has been charged with promoting prostitution for allegedly arranging the girls' tryst with Dasen in her home.

Police say some of the women involved with Dasen over the years will be charged with prostitution.

According to court documents, Dasen has said he can provide the names of 400 women he has "helped." The document says that "Dasen has consistently referred to having sex with females who he has provided financial aid to as 'help.'"

"I was naked, and you clothed me. Indirectly."

Dasen ran a business called Christian Financial Counseling, where he counseled and assisted people in financial straits.

Police allege that he wrote checks from the Christian Financial Counseling account and from his personal bank account to pay women for sex.

Typically, the counselling consisted of "I'm out of cash. Go and sin no more."

He also has a financial interest in Budget Finance, City Service Inc., Peak Development, 3D Investments and Dasen Corp.

According to the FEC, Dick Dasen of Kalispell, Montana (and of City Service) is a Republican contributor:

DASEN, RICHARD
KALISPELL, MT 59903
CITY SERVICE

TAYLOR, MICHAEL A
VIA TAYLOR FOR US SENATE
12/27/2001 500.00

You may remember Michael Taylor. He was the heterosexual not-gay straight Republican businessman who dropped out (and then back in) of the 2002 Montana Senate race after Max Baucus dug up some old footage from a local t.v. program which showed Taylor applying lotion to a man's face. Dasen's contribution to Taylor was clearly less extravagant than his alleged payments to the cash-strapped women of Montana.