Missoula man sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping teenagers

A Missoula judge sentenced a 20-year-old Missoula man to 20 years in the Montana State Prison on Thursday for raping several teenagers over the span of six years.

Dawson Barry Simmons initially faced 11 sexual intercourse without consent charges in two separate cases when he was 17 and 18 years old, along with one felony tampering with evidence charge.

In December, Simmons pleaded guilty to four of the sexual intercourse without consent charges in separate incidents.

In one case, Simmons was under 18 years old. Another case occurred around his 18th birthday and a third sexual assault happened after Simmons had turned 18. The three cases all occurred in 2024.

In a separate case, Simmons pleaded guilty to repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl four years younger than him for a period of years starting when he was 12. He was charged as an adult for all the cases, the Missoulian reported.

Judge Jason Marks sentenced Simmons to 50 years in the Montana State Prison, with 30 years suspended. The sentence allows Simmons to apply for parole in roughly 3.5 years, but Marks said a release is unlikely.

"Unless his conduct changes from what he's been doing in the jail, he very well may serve the entire 20 years," Marks said. "I am hopeful he will mature and modify his behavior to conform with social expectations."

While he is technically eligible for parole, Simmons would have to secure approval from the state probation and parole board, and faces previous bad behavior from his time at Missoula County Detention Center.

Missoula County prosecutor Brielle Lande argued for a full 50-year sentence for Simmons. She said in the hearing that Simmons had several other charges against him when he was in youth court.

While he is younger, Lande contended that Simmons had a risk to reoffend, and posed a safety risk to the community. She said Simmons has caused multiple issues in the county jail while he awaited the sentencing.

"His conduct in this case was egregious," Lande said. "He exploited victims' vulnerability, he expressed a willingness to treat other human beings as objects for his own gratification. ... The harm he caused these young women is profound and irreparable."

Several of the teenagers who were assaulted by Simmons provided testimony at the sentencing hearing. One woman said she had to drop out of school and receive expensive treatments because of the assaults.

Another said that Simmons caused irreparable harm to her. She said she did not want Simmons to stay in prison for his entire life, but wanted him to feel the pain she still feels.

"I hope you suffer," the woman told the court while looking at Simmons. "I do not want you to die. I do not want you to rot in jail. I want you to feel the way I do, and everyone else."

Defense attorney Shandor Badaruddin said the court should not excuse Simmons' conduct because of his age, but said a shorter sentence would be appropriate as Simmons matures and sees the consequences of his actions.

"It is unnecessary and counter-therapeutic for Mr. Simmons to be incarcerated for 50 years to be effectively treated and it is unnecessary to ensure the safety of the community," Badaruddin said. "A shorter sentence would afford a better opportunity for Mr. Simmons's rehabilitation."

Simmons provided his own testimony apologizing to the teenagers he assaulted. He said he now has a 21-month-old son and is working to correct his actions in the future.

As a part of the sentencing, Simmons is required to register as a tier two sex offender, pay a $10,000 restitution for one of the teenagers and is not allowed to make contact with any of the women in the case.

He has already served 554 days in Missoula County Detention Center, and is eligible for parole at the end of 2029.