A Flathead Valley man is accused of raping a woman he met on an online dating platform in mid-October.  

Prosecutors have brought Mason Rockwell Smith, 35, up on a felony count of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent in Flathead County District Court. He is expected to appear before Judge Amy Eddy on Nov. 12 for his arraignment.  

Smith matched with the woman on Facebook Dating on Oct. 14, according to court documents. The two went to a downtown Kalispell restaurant for a date and afterward Smith offered to drive her around for a bit as she was new to town.  

After about 30 minutes of driving, Smith allegedly parked his pickup truck, flipped up the center console and climbed on top of her. He proceeded to rape her with both his finger and penis, ignoring her instruction to stop, court documents said.  

When she tried to escape the truck, he allegedly grew violent and strangled her until she lost consciousness. She later told investigators with the Flathead County Sheriff's Office that she repeatedly passed in and out of consciousness. 

Authorities, who met the victim in the hospital, described her as suffering bruising on her neck, forearms, biceps, abdomen, thighs and on her chest below her collarbone, according to court documents. A deputy noted that "it appeared that [she] had been violently attacked," court documents said. 

The victim gave the authorities the profile picture of her assailant, and investigators linked it to Smith, court documents alleged.  

Smith contacted the Sheriff's Office on Oct. 20 wanting to report an individual accusing him of rape on social media, according to court documents. A detective agreed to meet with Smith and told him that the office had also received information about an alleged rape. 

After being read his rights, Smith asked for a lawyer and the interview ended. Smith was booked into the county jail that same day. He remains behind bars with bail set at $500,000.  

In the charging documents, prosecutors wrote that Smith has a prior burglary conviction in connection with the theft of money from a casino. He received a partially suspended 15-year prison sentence in 2018 and earned a conditional discharge from probation in 2024. His sentence was terminated in 2025.  

If convicted, Smith faces between 10 and 100 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.