Helena man sentenced to 45 years in prison for sexually assaulting young girl

A Helena man was sentenced Wednesday to 45 years in the Montana State Prison, with a requirement he not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years, after a jury convicted him last year of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl.

Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Christopher Abbott told Darren James Alexander, 34, that taking away Alexander’s youth and guaranteeing there was a “substantial” amount of time he could not “walk free on this earth” was an appropriate sentence.

A jury last October convicted Alexander of one felony count of sexual intercourse without consent; two counts of sexual assault; one count of criminal endangerment; one count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and one count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Abbott sentenced Alexander Wednesday to prison or jail time for each count, all to run concurrently. That included 100-year sentences in the state prison, with 55 years suspended and the parole restriction, for the sexual intercourse without consent and sexual assault charges.

Alexander was originally charged in April 2024 with sexually assaulting two young girls, but the charges related to one of the girls was dropped before trial. The other girl, age 9 last October, testified at Alexander’s trial. The abuse was discovered when the girl told an adult, who reported the allegations to Child Protective Services.

Abbott said during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing that her testimony was “probably the most harrowing and hard-to-sit-through” witness testimony he has heard in his two decades as a criminal lawyer and judge.

The Independent Record is not identifying the victim nor her relationship to Alexander to protect the identity of minors and sexual assault victims, nor is it identifying some of the girl’s family members who gave victim impact statements during Wednesday’s hearing.

Several older relatives of the girl urged the court to hand Alexander the strongest possible sentence, saying he had robbed her of her childhood and left her with memories and scars that will live with her for the rest of her life.

They said the girl has been in therapy and is just beginning to break out of the shell of fear, shame and hiding she was put into because of Alexander and his actions.

“The harm you caused will outlive any time you spend in prison,” said one relative. “The consequences of your actions will live with her forever.”

“She is strong, but the price she had to pay will continue. It’s unbearable. She did not deserve this. She deserved safety and a childhood,” said another.

Deputy County Attorney Rachel Raymond had asked for slightly more prison time for Alexander, while his defense attorney asked for a 25-year sentence, the minimum that would have been allowed.

Alexander said he felt “deep remorse” for his actions and that during his past two years in jail, he’s realized the extent of the damage he inflicted on the girl.

But Abbott sided with prosecutors’ recommendation of a lengthy prison sentence.

“I do think it’s important to her restoration that there will be something coming from this court saying that what happened to her was wrong, and that the court can’t go back in time and stop it, but the court will take care of it and the court will express its condemnation,” he said.