A Bigfork man has been convicted of felony sexual abuse of children.

Kevin Dixon, 49, entered an Alford plea on Jan. 3 in Flathead District Court, maintaining that he is innocent while accepting conviction to take advantage of the plea agreement.

Under that agreement, the Flathead County Attorney’s Office will recommend a seven-year sentence to the Montana State Prison when Dixon is sentenced on Feb. 27.

The maximum penalty is 100 years.

According to a court document, after a 9-year-old girl and another child stopped by Dixon’s house on Jan. 1, 2013, to give him a Christmas tree from the girl’s father, Dixon kicked out the other child, closed the curtains and windows and locked the door.

He then played a pornographic video for the girl and asked her, “Will you do that to me?” at which point the girl said no and made up a lie to get out of the apartment. She also took two pictures with her iPod Touch of the video he was playing.

The document states Dixon has been charged at least twice in the past for sexually assaulting minor girls — once for having sex with a 7-year-old girl when he was 17 and once for trying to have sex with a minor cousin when he was at least 26.

Dixon allegedly denied ever having been arrested for any other offenses, but a review of the county database revealed at least three arrests for felony theft.

The current case had been held up since a January 2013 arraignment due to concerns regarding Dixon’s competency to proceed.

Because the victim was younger than 12 and Dixon was older than 18, he would not be eligible for parole for the first 25 years of any sentence.

He is currently being held in the Flathead County Detention Center.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.