Grand Forks man sentenced to 35 years for sexually assaulting a child
Jun. 18—A Grand Forks man convicted of sexually abusing a child has been sentenced to 50 years in prison with 15 years suspended.
David Walter Gaddie, 38, appeared for his sentencing hearing in a Grand Forks courtroom on Thursday, June 17. In addition to his 35-year prison sentence, Gaddie was sentenced to 10 years of probation upon his release, and will be required to register as a sexual offender for life. He will also be required to pay about $1,640 in fees, including $614 in restitution.
A jury found Gaddie guilty of four counts of gross sexual imposition last March.
According to court documents, a child was forensically interviewed in January 2020 after she disclosed to school counselors that she had been sexually assaulted by Gaddie while she was in the second and third grades.
On the witness stand, the child, identified as Jane Doe, described how she told numerous adults in her life about the assaults. When they didn't report them, she told her two closest friends at school, who urged her to tell a counselor.
Gaddie maintained his innocence throughout the trial, but the jury found him guilty after about two hours of deliberations.
