A western Montana man who was accused of sexually abusing minor girls in Lodge Grass was convicted Monday by a federal jury.
Jack Preston Coversup, 57, of Moiese, was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact after a two-day trial.
Coversup faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor, and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release for abusive sexual contact.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and set sentencing for Dec. 10. Coversup was detained pending further proceedings.
According to a media release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, during trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Coversup had sexually molested three minor girls in a Lodge Grass residence from about December 2015 to February 2016. The victims were under the age of 16. Coversup sexually molested the victims by touching their bodies over and under their clothing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Godfrey and Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
