Sex offender was teaching children at dance school

A 26-year-old registered sex offender from Polson may be going to jail after apparently failing to register a new address and taking a job teaching children.

In July 2008, Donald Stanfield was given a six-year deferred sentence after pleading guilty to one of two felony charges of sexual intercourse without consent.

Stanfield raped and molested one girl, beginning when she was 7 or 8 years old and lasting until she was 16, and another girl when she was 11. He was between 12 and 21 years old during those years.

Now Stanfield may have to serve the entirety of those six years in jail, along with possible additional time on his new felony charge of failure to register as a sex offender.

Along with not reporting to his probation officer that he was staying in Kalispell instead of with his mother in Polson, Stanfield was teaching ballet to children ages 3 and 18, according to court documents.

Flathead County Deputy Attorney Lori Adams said that job with the Northwest Ballet School & Company in Kalispell, never was reported by Stanfield to his sex offender counselor. It is unknown if the ballet school was aware of Stanfield’s history. Messages left with the school were not immediately returned.

It also is unknown whether Stanfield’s probation officer was aware of his employment.

Stanfield’s mother testified on his behalf during a bond modification hearing Thursday in Flathead District Court. She said Stanfield could come back to live with her if he was released. She called her son an “honorable man” who was working his way through classes at Flathead Valley Community College.

Flathead District Judge David Ortley said Stanfield’s work with children caused him “great concern,” despite the determination in a prior court-ordered evaluation of Stanfield that he posed only a 6 percent risk of re-offending.

“I’m not prepared to overlook your violations and release you or lower your bond,” Ortley said.

With Ortley’s ruling, Stanfield remains in jail on a $45,000 bond.

Stanfield pleaded not guilty to failing to register as a sex offender, for which he could be sentenced to five years in prison and fined up to $10,000 along with the possible reinstatement of his previous six-year sentence.

A revocation hearing on his original case will be held on Tuesday. His next hearing on the new charge is scheduled for July 18.