Man accused of sexually molesting girl for 3 years

A Havre man has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl for three years.

Jerry L. Yost, born in 1973, was charged Friday with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and counts of sexual assault and indecent exposure.

Court charging documents say a 13-year-old girl reported to her school counselor Dec. 19 that Yost, a relative, had been sexually molesting her since she had been 10. The incident was reported to the Child Abuse Hotline and referred to the police for investigation.

During a forensic interview conducted by a detective with the girl at Bullhook Community Health Center nine days later, the girl said there had been more than 20 instances of sexual conduct by Yost toward the girl.

The girl described multiple incidents involving indecent exposure and sexual acts.

The girl told the detective the rapes happened when her mother was at work, documents say.

The mother had been physically abused by Yost, the girl said. She said she had seen Yost punch her mother while her mother was holding a 1-year-old.

The girl reported she was afraid Yost would kill her mother, documents say.

Yost met with an officer at the Havre Police Department Jan. 16.

Yost denied all allegations by the girl and added she had made false accusations about him in the past, documents say. He said he and the mother had been in a relationship for three years and had lived together in the past.  

Yost has been in the Hill County Detention Center on a $150,000 bond since Jan. 16. Yost is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 9 at 9:30 in District Court in Havre.