Sex, Money and Meth Addiction

Dasen Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

By Hal Herring, 9-12-05

Flathead businessman Richard A. "Dick" Dasen, the man convicted last spring of luring numerous women -- many of them methamphetamine addicts -- into a ring of sex-for-money agreements, will spend 20 months in the Montana State Prison for the crimes.

Dasen was sentenced today in Kalispell to two years in Deer Lodge without paroll, but with credit given for the 117 days he's already spent in the local jail. He was also sentenced to 18 years to the Department of Corrections but all of that sentence was suspended.

Last May, a jury convicted Dasen on one misdemeanor and five felony charges, including promotion of prostitution and sexual abuse of children. He was acquitted of seven other charges, including two of the most serious -- sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated promotion of prostitution. The sexual abuse conviction alone carried with it a 100-year maximum sentence but no minimum. [End of article]

Comment By Joe Prebich, 9-13-05

I cannot believe this. This is the perfect example of what is wrong with the legal system and the public for that matter. Dick Dasen is a sick man and deserves to be treated as such. This man sexually abused children. I am sorry but I am disgusted. If these were rich white girls then the outcome would be much different. But since these girls were poor, and living on the fringe, then apparently they don't count as people. I am furious with this decision. This case was a chance tor the people of Montana to stand up to the perversion that Dasen thrived off of. Think about it, if Dasen had abused your kid, would you feel like justice had been served? I doubt it. I hope that Dasen will realize that in many people's eyes, he is a convicted man and will be treated as such. I just am so sad that we place our values of humanity in correlation to our economic position. It is disgusting and truly sad.

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