A McLoud man who, in January entered no contest pleas to multiple felony counts for crimes against minors, will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
Seven felony counts were originally filed against David Paul Hale, 57, in Lincoln County District Court on Aug. 14, 2023. Those included six for lewd or indecent acts with a minor and one for forcible sodomy.
On Jan. 27, 2025, two additional felonies were filed in Lincoln County District Court against Hale, both for forcible sodomy.
Hale, appearing before District Judge Sarah Bridge on March 21, was sentenced to a total of 210 years in the Department of Corrections.
After stating that Hale had previously entered a no contest plea in the matter and that the Court had previously found him guilty, she further advised him that all counts were 85 percent crimes.
She then sentenced Hale to 25 years in the DOC on each of the six counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16 and 20 years in the DOC on each of the forcible sodomy counts.
She further ordered that each of the sentences is to run consecutively with each other.
Assistant District Attorneys Kelly Trimble and Rachel Thompson prosecuted the cases for the state and Hale’s defense attorney was Shelley Levisay.
Trimble said afterwards, “For years, David Hale has been able to victimize the most vulnerable people in our society—children. And on Friday, justice was finally served for the multiple children that he molested.
“Judge Bridge’s sentence ensures that those victims can go to sleep at night knowing that they will never have to fear seeing him again, and it also ensures that no other child will be harmed by this man who has proven that he will continue to molest kids. We are so thankful for the bravery of the victims in this case for coming forward and for the work of all agencies involved.”
On Jan. 30, 2025, appearing before Bridge, Hale waived a preliminary hearing and the two-judge rule. The judge received the waivers. As the result of the state’s recommendation and result of a plea bargain, Hale entered no contest blind pleas.
Judge Bridge received the pleas and ordered a pre-sentence investigation.
In the initial charges filed against Hale on Aug. 14, 2023 he is accused of committing those crimes between Feb. 4, 2023 and July 17, 2023 with minors 10 and 15 years old. One of those counts states he required one of the minors to view obscene material, child pornography by showing a video of himself committing a lewd act with another minor.
The two forcible sodomy counts filed on Jan. 27 this year, accuse Hale of committing those crimes between Jan. 6, 2021 and Jan. 5, 2022 with a victim under 16 years old.
Supplemental information filed in the case by Assistant District DA Trimble and Assistant DA Lori McConnell shows Hale was previously convicted on Feb. 3, 2023 in Lincoln County District Court of felony child abuse.
Court records further show that on Feb. 3, 2023, as the result of a plea agreement, Hale entered a no contest plea and former District Judge Traci Soderstrom sentenced him to five years in the Department of Corrections with all time suspended.
On Dec. 7, 2023 prosecutors filed a motion to revoke.
District Judge John Canavan on March 5, 2024 ruled that Hale had violated the terms and conditions of his probation and revoked his sentence in full and sentenced him to five years in DOC at that time.