SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint man is facing up to life in prison after pleading not guilty to two alleged counts of sexual abuse. 

Derek Duncan, 31, entered the plea Tuesday, Aug. 11, to two felonies of rape by force, where the alleged victim is 16 or 17 years of age.  

Due to the severity of the alleged crimes, Duncan is facing up to life in prison and may be required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry if he is found guilty.  

At his arraignment hearing, Duncan was scheduled for a three-day jury trial starting Nov. 18, with a pretrial conference scheduled for Oct. 13.  

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the alleged incident occurred July 4, 2026, after the Sandpoint Lions’ fireworks show. Documents indicate that illegal substances were provided to the victim and were in her system during the time of the alleged assault. 

The morning after the alleged abuse, Duncan reportedly asked the victim not to tell anyone about the abuse as he was serving unsupervised probation out of Kootenai County for petit theft. 

He currently remains at the Bonner County Jail on a $500,000 bail.