C-Falls man pleads not guilty to rape charge

The Columbia Falls man accused of raping a child in 2020 has pleaded not guilty to a single felony count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Shawn Steven Fauske, 38, appeared in Flathead County District Court before Judge Heidi Ulbricht for his June 2 arraignment. Backed by a large contingent of friends, family and supporters in the audience, Fauske was partially successful in securing permission to see his children and the children of his significant other pending the case’s outcome.

Authorities with the Kalispell Police Department began investigating Fauske in 2020, not long after he allegedly raped a then-12-year-old in her Columbia Falls bedroom. The child acknowledged the rape during an interview with detectives, according to court documents. A warrant for his arrest was issued April 29 of this year.

During the June 2 hearing, Fauske’s attorney, Jordan Kilby, said that prior to his arrest, Fauske shared custody of four children with their mother. He also had a close relationship with his current partner’s young children, she said.

Under Kilby’s proposed plan, Fauske would maintain supervised contact with his four children and live with his partner and her children. His partner would oversee any activity between him and her children, Kilby said.

She also asked that Fauske receive permission to attend his grandmother’s upcoming memorial service, as yet unplanned, which would put him in proximity with minors, albeit with supervision.

Deputy County Attorney Stacy Boman said that any contact between Fauske and children raised concerns for prosecutors, but only objected to his interaction with one minor, a witness in the case.

“I am leaving this in the court’s discretion, but I do have some trepidation,” she said.

Kilby offered the court access to Fauske’s home surveillance camera system and pointed out that he has remained law abiding while out on pretrial supervision.

“I don’t think I stressed how difficult this has been for [Fauske] and his family,” she said.

Ulbricht ultimately allowed Fauske to resume contact with three of his kids and his partner’s two children. Fauske is to refrain from contacting the minor listed as a witness, she said, rejecting Kilby’s counteroffer of allowing him supervised telephone and text message interaction with her.

She did give Fauske the go-ahead to attend the memorial service.

For her part, Boman reiterated that, outside of the few exceptions agreed upon in court, Fauske was not to be in contact with minors.

“That is a matter of great public safety and importance,” she said.

Ulbricht set an omnibus hearing for Fauske’s case for Oct. 5 with a pretrial conference to follow on Nov. 30. The case is set to go to trial in early 2023.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.