Swinomish Tribal Member Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

ROGER WALTER DAMIEN, 26, an enrolled member of the Swinomish Tribe, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison and five years of supervised release for two counts of sexual abuse of a minor. The court also ordered DAMIEN to pay approximately $375 in restitution to his victims. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that DAMIEN exerted undue influence over his young victims, was motivated by his own sexual gratification, and only stopped sexually abusing the minors when he got caught.

According to records in the case, between June 2009 and July 2010, DAMIEN was involved in sexual relationships with two young Native American females under the age of 16. DAMIEN, who is more than 10 years older than each of the young victims, had sex with them at his home on the Swinomish Indian Reservation. The parents of both teenage victims reported their concerns to Swinomish Tribal Police when one discovered text messages from DAMIEN, and when the other discovered her daughter was absent from home in the overnight hours.

In asking for a sentence of five years or more in prison, prosecutors wrote to the court that DAMIEN’s age, education, and life experiences was far above that of his victims. “The court should not lose sight of Mr. Damien’s age, education, and the fact that he had been married and has young children, and by comparison, the age and personal circumstances of his young victims. Mr. Damien clearly groomed and cultivated his victims over an extended period,” prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memo.

The case was investigated by the Swinomish Tribal Police and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London. Mr. London serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

For additional information, please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.