Havre man charged with incest with a child

A Havre man has been charged with incest in a case involving a teenager.

Robert McConnell, of Havre, born in 1980, was officially charged with three counts of incest Jan. 20.

He pleaded not guilty Monday to all three counts before District Judge Dan Boucher.

According to court documents, Havre Police Officer Jesse Eller responded to a report Nov. 5.

Once Eller arrived on the scene, he talked to a 15-year-old girl. The girl reportedly said she did not want to go home because she was afraid of her relative, McConnell.

The girl then said that McConnell had abused her. Eller was informed that the nature of the abuse was sexual.

The court documents go on to say that the girl was brought to the District 4 Human Resources Development Council offices to have a forensic interview conducted Nov. 11. This interview was done by Lindsey Reichelt.

The girl told Reichelt that she was touched by McConnell on three separate occasions, and that the first occasion occurred when she was 8 or 10.

Eller then spoke with the girl’s grandmother Nov. 24.

The grandmother told Eller that she had felt for “quite some time” that McConnell had been involved with the girl and that she believed he had been grooming her for years.

The girl’s grandmother then told Eller that McConnell would do things such as not allow the girl to hang out with her friends.

The court documents go on to say that Eller spoke with a person who knew of the investigation Dec. 3.

The individual reportedly told Eller that McConnell “took the girl’s childhood away,” and stated that McConnell was always around the girl, would not let the girl stay at her friends’ houses, would not let the girl have boyfriends and was “very possessive” of the girl among other things.

If convicted, McConnell faces up to 100 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. His next hearing is scheduled for March 13 at 9:30 a.m. at the Hill County Courthouse.