Dill has initial appearance

Nick Ianniello

Mineral Independent

A former Mineral County Jail guard accused of one count of sexual intercourse without consent and another count of attempted sexual intercourse without consent was be released into a house arrest program after his initial appearance in Mineral County District Court Monday.

Judge Edward McLean made the decision to release 52-year old Clyde Dill since the former guard had his own home in Superior. Dill was previously being held on a $10,000 bond in Missoula.

Mineral County Attorney Shaun Donovan said that dill was being held in Missoula for his own protection as well as that of potential witnesses in the case. Dill was transported to Superior for his court appearance Monday morning.

According to an affidavit filed by Donovan, Agent Dave Schettine of the Division of Criminal Investigation of the Montana Department of Justice interviewed a female prisoner from the Mineral County Jail at the request of Donovan and Mineral County Sheriff Hugh Hopwood. The prisoner told Schettine that she had had sexual contact with Dill on two occasions will incarcerated at the Mineral County Jail between Aug. 27, and Nov. 14, 2008.

According to the prisoner, Dill removed her from her cell and took her to an area of the jail used as a kitchen, library and laundry room that was not visible from the dispatch office in the jail. She said that on one occasion they had sexual intercourse and on another occasion Dill attempted to have intercourse with her but failed.

In Donovan’s original complaint filed against Dill he alleged that Dill have withheld reasonable necessities from the prisoner in order to illicit sexual favors.

Schettine interviewed another prisoner who was incarcerated in the Mineral County Jail at the same time as the prisoner. The prisoner claimed that Dill and the female prisoner accusing him had a “flirtatious” relationship.

Schettine also interviewed another jail guard who said that he saw Dill remove the prisoner in question from her cell on more than one occasion and was suspicious of the purpose.

A search of Dill’s personal belongings revealed several items, unnamed in the affidavit, that were consistent with facts reported by the female prisoner.

According to Montana Law, a jailed prisoner cannot legally consent to sex or sexual contact with an employee of the jail they are in that has supervisory or disciplinary authority over them.

If convicted Dill could face a sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 for each charge against him.