I've known Dennis for almost 15 years. I attended Lame Deer schools and have always been a friend to him since I was in elementary school. He is mentally handicapped and deaf. I've personally witnessed (and have been embarrassed) by some people in Lame Deer who have mistreated him because of his disabilities. He walks EVERYWHERE. People in Lame Deer, especially kids and teenagers, would throw things at him, yell at him (because he cannot hear), and physically push him around. Never, and I repeat, NEVER, has he struck back or said anything. He minds his own business. I strongly believe that he is not capable of these charges and may not mentally understand what “pleading guilty” entails. Our system, both the legal and the social, in Lame Deer is a joke. I graduated Lame Deer H.S in 2002. I have my advanced degrees under my belt and I check Billings Gazette news from time to time, so I am abreast of the things happening on the rez. Gosh, there are so many sexual perpetrators in Lame Deer, why do we feel the need to go after this mentally handicapped man who has been tortured and humiliated by many?! He did not molest those girls!!!! When I was 12 years old in Lame Deer, I had 25-35 yr old men pursuing me. Instead of people protecting me or turning in these so called men who were basically stalking me, they called me a #### for attracting that kind attention. Even some of my own family was a part of it. So if you want to sit in your broken down reservation homes and degrade this disabled man before you look at what the reality is in Lame Deer and turn your blind eyes to our social dysfunctional community, you are just as guilty as all the “men” on the reservation who go after young girls. When I graduated with my Master’s degree people said to me, come back to the reservation and help your people. Uhh, yeah right. Until people become accountable, to themselves and to others, and protect our youth from sexual and physical abuse (no matter what family/community they come from)… I’m gonna pass.