Dasen must pay $2 million to teen victim
A federal jury has ordered former Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr. to pay a teenage girl $2.2 million to compensate her for what the jury concluded was a sexual assault while the girl was a minor.
By CHERY SABOL
The Daily Inter Lake
A federal jury has ordered former Kalispell businessman Dick Dasen Sr. to pay a teenage girl $2.2 million to compensate her for what the jury concluded was a sexual assault while the girl was a minor.
The girl was awarded $2 million in punitive damages and $200,000 in compensatory damages in a civil lawsuit she filed against Dasen.
The jury determined Dasen had committed assault and battery on the girl, who was 16 at the time of the incident.
He was acquitted by a Flathead County jury in May on a felony prostitution charge involving the teenager and another girl, although he was found guilty on other charges.
The federal trial was held last week in U.S. Magistrate Leif Erickson's court in Missoula. Juries in federal lawsuits must reach unanimous verdicts. The seven-member jury reached its decision on compensatory damages Friday after deliberating for three hours on the week's testimony.
Jurors determined the $2 million in punitive damages Monday after an hour and a half of deliberation.
The girl sued Dasen after a series of criminal prostitution-related charges were filed against him. Dasen was convicted in May of sexual abuse of children, promotion of prostitution and four counts of prostitution.
He was found innocent of sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated promotion of prostitution. Both of those charges alleged sexual activity with underage girls.
The aggravated promotion of prostitution charge was connected to the girl who filed the suit. She said she was 16 when she and a 15-year-old girl agreed to display provocative behavior for Dasen in exchange for money.
Instead, she said, he sexually assaulted her. She and her friend were allegedly paid $2,500 for the encounter.
Kim Neise, a woman who arranged the meeting between the girls and Dasen, was originally named in the lawsuit and was then dropped from it. For recruiting the girls for Dasen, Neise pleaded guilty to aggravated promotion of prostitution.
In her suit against Dasen, the girl said his actions caused significant injury and damages, including emotional trauma, and will likely result in future psychological and medical expenses.
The suit alleged that Dasen "used his status of age, wealth and position to coerce and entice" the girl, knowing that her youth and poverty made her vulnerable to his inducement of money in exchange for sexual acts.
Dasen's money was the topic of a "mini trial" Monday as the jury heard conflicting information about his net worth.
Testimony indicated Dasen was worth $5 million to $6 million when the incident with the girl happened. He testified today that he is now $1.5 million in debt.
The girl, now 19, was represented by attorney Monte Beck of Bozeman. Dasen was represented by Tammy Wyatt-Shaw and John Bohyer of Missoula.
Another girl who sued Dasen has dropped her action against him, but can refile it later.
Dasen is in Montana State Prison, serving two years of a 20-year sentence for the sex offenses; the balance of his sentence was suspended.
Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com