Navajo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse Offense

ALBUQUERQUE—On December 1, 2011, George Nez, 69, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Mexican Springs, N.M., pled guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Nez will be sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by his sentencing judge. Nez also will be required to register as a sex offender.

Nez has been residing in a halfway house under conditions of release and pretrial supervision since his arrest on February 8, 2011 on a criminal complaint, and remains on release pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Nez was indicted on March 9, 2011 and charged with three counts of abusive sexual contact of a child under the age of 12. Yesterday, Nez entered a guilty plea to count one of the indictment. In entering his plea, Nez admitted sexually abusing a child on a date between June 1, 2009 and September 1, 2009 at his residence in Mexican Springs, N.M., which is within the Navajo Indian Reservation. In particular, Nez admitted that he intentionally touched the child’s genitals in order to gratify his sexual desire.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Barth.