Man to be Sentenced in Cody Girl’s Abduction

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man could face up to life in prison on charges that he kidnapped and sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl before abandoning her in the Wyoming wilderness.

A change of plea and sentencing hearing for Jesse Paul Speer of Manhattan, Montana, is scheduled for Tuesday in Park County, Wyoming.

Authorities say that in October 2012, Speer tricked the Cody girl into accompanying him with a tale of a lost puppy. He drove her to a remote area and sexually assaulted her before abandoning her.

A pair of hunters later found the victim wandering at night along a rural road about 20 miles southeast of Cody.

Charges against Speer include kidnapping, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and sexual assault.