Man accused of eight years of sexual abuse

A Bigfork man has pleaded not guilty to a pair of sexual assault-related charges after allegedly molesting a girl from the age of 10 until she was 18.

Anthony Allen, 51, entered the plea Thursday in Flathead District Court.

A court document says Allen started molesting the girl in 1997 and continued until at least 2005 and that near the end of the molestation, he raped her at least twice. Allen would have been between the ages of 35 and 43 when the alleged crimes occurred.

The document also states that a deputy tried to contact both the girl’s mother and Allen,but the mother did not respond to the deputy’s request for an interview and Allen declined to speak with the deputy.

If convicted of both charges, Allen faces up to two consecutive life terms in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. He is currently incarcerated in the Flathead County Detention Center, where his bond is set at $30,000.

His next hearing is set for Oct. 16.