Powell man gets 40-year sentence for abusing child
POWELL — A Powell man has been ordered to serve 40 to 47 years in prison for subjecting a child to repeated sexual abuse. Carl D. Swan, 31, accepted the lengthy prison term in Park County District Court on Monday as part of a deal with prosecutors.
“It means, if you do live that long, that by the time of your potential discharge, you would be well approaching your mid 60s to early 70s,” District Judge Bill Simpson noted to Swan at the morning hearing. “Do you understand that?”
“Yes,” Swan replied.
His court-appointed defense attorney, Tim Blatt, later called it “an appropriate sentence, given the circumstances and situation.”
Charging documents say the victim disclosed Swan’s abuse to a trusted adult in early July who, in turn, contacted Powell police. In a later interview with authorities, the child expressed uncertainty about the timeline, but reported that Swan had made her engage in sexual contact many times. The child “stated she understood what good and bad touches were and said what [Swan] was doing was bad,” Powell Police Investigator Chris Wallace recounted in an affidavit.
The victim also reported that Swan had told her not to tell anyone about what was happening, the affidavit says.
Wallace questioned Swan on the morning of July 9, and he reportedly confessed to the allegations, indicating that he’d abused the child at least eight separate times. Swan also “made a comment that he was disgusted with himself,” the affidavit says.
The document indicates that Swan moved to Powell in 2023 from another state. Swan was arrested at the end of the July interview and has been held in custody since then. He declined to make a statement at Monday's court hearing.
As part of his deal with the Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Swan pleaded “no contest” to felony counts of first- and second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. In exchange for those two pleas, Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Eichele agreed to drop 10 other felony counts related to the abuse.
Simpson said he trusted the judgment of the prosecution and the defense in crafting a sentence that addressed public safety, punishment and the severity of the offense.
Simpson did tack $10,000 worth of fines on top of the standard court fees and assessments, though he acknowledged to Swan that it was “probably symbolic, given the significant time of your incarceration and the inability to earn the necessary money to pay it.
“But I do think it is important, given the severity and the gravity of your criminal acts that you’ve (pleaded) to,” the judge said.
Swan had served roughly five months in custody prior to Monday’s sentencing. That time will count toward his 40- to 47- year sentence.
This story was published on Dec. 2, 2025.