A Whitefish sex offender has denied allegedly burglarizing Patty Seaman Mobile Homes earlier this year and being caught with drugs in late 2015.

In Flathead District Court on Thursday, Stephen Lee Goodnight, 40, entered not-guilty pleas to one count of felony burglary and another count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

His case is set for trial in 2017.

Goodnight allegedly was found in possession of multiple glass table tops, a stone table base, cloth chairs, barstools, and tables and coffee tables that were taken from Patty Seaman Mobile Homes on Feb. 20-22. Workers reported that more than $4,000 in items had been taken from three mobile homes.

In addition to the items allegedly found in Goodnight’s home, a new refrigerator and electric range were stolen.

Goodnight allegedly admitted to committing burglary on two separate nights.

Goodnight also is charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs after he allegedly dropped a digital scale from a Crown Royal bag as officers questioned him about someone else’s whereabouts on Nov. 20, 2015.

Goodnight reportedly admitted to an investigating officer that he was a meth user and the bag contained drug paraphernalia.

During a bail reduction hearing, Goodnight testified that he was unable to pay his $15,000 bond. Goodnight testified that he was unemployed and living with his parents but being in jail had sobered him up from his meth problems.

He confessed to using methamphetamine the past four years, but said that he wanted to make a change.

“It would give me an opportunity to actually get a job,” Goodnight said about his request for release from jail.

County Attorney Ed Corrigan was not persuaded by Goodnight’s testimony and opposed release.

Corrigan pointed out that Goodnight had been convicted of first-degree rape of a child in Kansas in the 1990s. He was convicted in Virginia of failure to appear in court in 1996.

Corrigan said that in August 2015, January 2015, and January 2016, Goodnight failed to appear in justice courts in Flathead and Missoula counties on misdemeanor charges.

“I can understand missing one [court date], but you missed four,” Corrigan told him.

Goodnight tried to minimize his criminal history by saying he had only missed court for traffic infractions. He also tried to downplay his prior rape conviction by saying, “There was no force involved.” Goodnight said he was convicted because his victim was underage.

Corrigan pointed out that nonetheless, Goodnight is required to register for life as a sex offender and that he has not always followed through with the obligations that designation requires.

“You’ve been convicted of failure to register,” Corrigan pointed out.

Goodnight tried to minimize that conviction by saying he had gotten kicked out of required counseling and that he ran away and did not register afterward.

Flathead District Court Judge Amy Eddy did not immediately rule on whether or not Goodnight would be released from jail.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.