Disgusting Acts Send Former MT Deputy to Prison. Is the Sentence Too Light?

A 42-year-old Wibaux man has been sentenced to 100 years in prison.

Joshua Harris, the former Wibaux County Deputy Sherrif has been sentenced, according to an 11/29/23 press release from the Montana Department of Justice. Attorney General Austin Knudsen's office wrote:

Joshua Harris, 42, admitted in July to sexually assaulting three young girls multiple times over the span of about eight years. He began sexually abusing one young victim at the age of 8 and mentioned multiple times he wanted to leave his now former wife and run off with one of the victims. Years before conviction, Harris served as the Wibaux County Deputy Sheriff. 

100 years seems appropriate for the disgusting crimes committed against these children, however, 80 years of his jail time is suspended and he'll only go to prison for 20 years.

The case unfolded in November 2022

Harris was initially arrested on November 2, 2022, after an investigation by the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Yellowstone Valley Children’s Advocacy Center and the Department of Health and Human Services led to his arrest.

The abuse was happening while he was employed by the county.

At the time, he was charged with 11 counts, including 8 counts of incest, two for sexual assault, and one for sexual intercourse without consent, all felonies. The Glendive Ranger Review noted that Harris was the Wibaux County Deputy Sheriff from 2016 to 2021. By that timeline, he was molesting kids the entire time he served in law enforcement in Montana. Wibaux County is the 4th least populated county in Montana, with under 1,000 residents. It's east of Glendive and borders North Dakota.

Is 20 years in prison too light for such horrific acts against kids? Leave a comment on on Facebook page or Message Us on the Mobile App.