Man charged with raping girl at homeless shelter

Edward Harold Ghostbear is in jail in Havre on $30,000 bond facing charges that he, on at least several occasions, raped a young girl in a homeless shelter while she was visiting him.

The Hill County Attorney's Office charged Ghostbear Tuesday with felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent, or, in the alternative, sexual assault.

Ghostbear's arraignment is scheduled for 10 a. m. Friday.

According to the charging document, officers responded to a call from Myron David of the Branded by Fire Ministries church, reporting a fight outside the church on the 600 block of 2nd Avenue.

The church representative told the responding officers that the woman started hitting Ghostbear, who had been staying at the church's shelter and who did not defend himself.

She accused Ghostbear of molesting her daughter.

David said this morning that he and his family had been with Ghostbear and the girl most of the time she was at the church Jan. 8, and saw nothing indicating anything had happened.

Pastor Mike Neubauer, founder of Branded By Fire, said this morning that no one in the church said they had been told by the girl that anything had been happening. He talked to everyone in whom the girl could have confided, he said.

"We're trying to help Havre, and this is so bogus …, " Neubauer said. "If anyone had heard about someone being molested, we would have heard about it. "

According to the charging document, the girl, whose age was not given, told the investigating officer that Ghostbear had touched her crotch area, and that she was in pain.

She later told the officer that Ghostbear had had actual sex with her. The sex had occurred in the basement of the church when no one else was there, the girl said.

She said he sexually assaulted her every time she went to visit him. The charges list the dates from Dec. 15 through Jan. 8.

She said she told Ghostbear to stop, but he did not, and that she was too afraid to shout or call for help.

The girl said she told people at the church what Ghostbear had done, but no one believed her.