Crownpoint Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Child Sex Abuse Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, Alton Tom, 22, of Crownpoint, New Mexico, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for his abusive sexual contact conviction. Tom, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Tom was arrested on March 2, 2011, after being charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child in an indictment filed on February 10, 2011. The indictment alleged that Tom sexually assaulted a child under the age of 12 by penetrating her genital opening with his finger on September 7, 2009, and that unlawful act occurred within Indian Country.

On June 10, 2011, Tom entered a guilty plea to an information charging him with abusive sexual contact of a child under the age of 12 under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. In entering his plea, Tom admitted touching the child’s vagina with his finger. Tom was remanded into federal custody after entering his guilty plea.

Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, the indictment against Tom was dismissed after he was sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shana B. Long.