Convicted sex offender facing revocation of suspended sentences

Derrick Perkins, Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Mont.
·2 min read

Apr. 30—A convicted sex offender is facing the revocation of his suspended sentence after allegedly getting caught using methamphetamine and fentanyl multiple times through the winter and spring.

Prosecutors on Friday filed a petition for revocation in Flathead County District Court for David Berlin Trent, 47, of Kalispell, at the behest of his probation and parole officer. Trent is serving a pair of five-year suspended sentences for sexual abuse of children and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

Described as "not fit for community supervision" in a violation reported filed in district court, Trent remains in the county jail with bail set at $100,000. He is expected to appear before Judge Robert Allison on June 6.

Trent's trouble with the law began after Microsoft alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to images of children engaging in sexual acts found on his cloud computing drive, according to court documents. He pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of children and the drug charge Jan. 22, 2016. Allison sentenced Trent to 10 years in the Montana State Prison on the former count and five years on the latter in March 2016. The two suspended sentences were to run consecutively.

Following a spate of violations, including failing to complete sex offender treatment, being in areas where children gather and possessing pornography, Trent's suspended sentences were revoked in July 2017. He was subsequently given 10 years in prison with five suspended on the sex abuse charge and a suspended five-year sentence for the drug possession count.

After entering Montana State Prison in August 2017, he began parole in Kalispell in June 2019, according to court documents.

His latest round of alleged violations began in December, when he tested positive for methamphetamine, fentanyl and amphetamines. He tested positive again on Jan. 15 and on Feb. 7 admitted to using both methamphetamine and fentanyl, court documents said. Later that month, he failed to show up to get his drug patch swapped, the violation report alleged.

He again tested positive for drugs on Feb. 28 and allegedly admitted to using drugs on March 7. Trent acknowledged using drugs on March 16, just two days after Allison ordered his suspended sentences revoked and set a date for disposition, court documents said.

Drug violations occurred again on March 21, March 27, April 2, April 4 and April 17, according to court documents.

In the report, Trent's probation and parole officer noted that the drug use continued despite the 47-year-old checking into outpatient treatment. When officers arrested him on April 24, they also found his wife with a black eye, according to the report. Trent allegedly told them he routinely got into fights with his spouse.

Trent's "drug use continues despite facing revocation or chemical dependency treatment," reads the report. His probation and parole officer recommended he undergo a drug treatment program available through the state Department of Corrections.