Kalispell businessman appeals convictions

Dick Dasen Sr. found guilty in May on five felony sex charges, misdemeanor

Attorneys for Dick Dasen Sr. filed an appeal Wednesday of his convictions in May on five felony sex charges and one misdemeanor.

Dasen, formerly a prominent Kalispell businessman, was sentenced in September to 20 years with 18 suspended. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves two years, minus time he served in the Flathead County jail.

The notice does not include any basis for the appeal. The rationale can be filed later, but the deadline to file the intent to appeal was approaching this week.

Dasen was represented at trial by Kalispell attorney George Best, but Great Falls attorney Daniel Donovan filed the appeal notice. Donovan represented Kalispell attorney John Lence when he was charged with defrauding the former Mountain Bank in Whitefish.

After a jury trial, District Judge Stewart Stadler had sentenced Dasen to two years at Montana State Prison for felony prostitution. Dasen also received one three-year suspended sentence to the Department of Corrections for a second charge felony prostitution and one five-year sentence for a third; they will run consecutively. For a misdemeanor count of prostitution, Dasen received a six-month suspended jail sentence. For sexual abuse of children (for taking sexual pictures of underage girls) and for promotion of prostitution, Stadler sentenced Dasen to 10 years and suspended both sentences.

Dasen was accused of spending millions of dollars on sex with women. About 20 of the women were convicted of prostitution; many were methamphetamine addicts who collected as much as $100,000 from Dasen, according to court documents and testimony.

Dasen testified at trial that he had extramarital affairs, that he was addicted to love, but that he never paid women for sex. He said he gave a lot of money to a lot of people in the community, but it was never predicated on any sexual favors. He also said he was unaware that women he supported were spending money on methamphetamine.

Prosecuting Deputy County Attorney Dan Guzynski said Dasen preyed on vulnerable women and girls and endangered the community by having unprotected sex with dozens and dozens of women.

Dasen, once a wealthy and benevolent benefactor in the community, has said that the criminal charges against him left him financially broken.