Navajo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—George Nez, 71, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Mexican Springs, New Mexico, entered a guilty plea this morning to a child sex abuse charge and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Nez will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

Nez was indicted in March 2011 and charged with three counts of abusive sexual contact of a child under the age of 12. The indictment alleged that Nez had sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 on three occasions at a location within the Navajo Indian Reservation between June 2009 and September 2009. Court filings reflect that the child victim reported the abuse to a parent in January 2011, and the parent contacted law enforcement authorities, prompting the investigation that led to the filing of charges against Nez.

This morning, Nez pled guilty to count one of the indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact and admitted knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 years by touching the child’s genitals. Nez acknowledged that he committed this offense between June 1, 2009 and September 1, 2009. Nez was sentenced immediately after entering his guilty plea.

This case was investigated by the Gallup Office of the FBI and the Crownpoint Office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Barth.