Teen, father charged in rape, witness tampering

A Havre High School student and his father are charged in separate cases alleging the youth raped a Havre High School girl and he and his father both told the girl not to go to the police.

Ryan Holsapple, 17, at the time of the alleged incident, and his father Jeffrey Holsapple, age not available, both were charged in state District Court in Havre.

Ryan Holsapple is charged with felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent and tampering with a witness and a misdemeanor count of partner or family member assault.

Jeffrey Holsapple is charged with a felony count of tampering with a witness.

The Hill County Attorney’s Office has requested a change of judge. Both are scheduled to make their first court appearance next Monday. The county attorney has requested a hearing to determine whether the case against Ryan Holsapple should be held in district court or youth court.

According to the charging document, the girl told an investigator May 30 that Ryan Holsapple had asked her to come to his residence April 15 to talk and to pick up some items that belonged to her. While she was there, he forced her to have sex against her will, she said.

Afterward, he tried to keep her from leaving, the girl said.

His mother, Kristina Holsapple, was called home, the girl said, and she told the girl not to say anything to anyone “because Ryan was already in enough trouble,” the document says.

He later threatened to kill her dog if she told anyone, the girl said, and approached her May 27 at school and grabbed her arm, telling her not to tell anyone or he would be in more trouble, the document says.

Later that day, the document says, Jeffrey Holsapple began sending text messages to the girl’s mobile phone asking her to “let us handle this. … please don’t tell (your dad) !!!!! Please just don’t go to the authorities!!!!!!”