Navajo Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing a Child
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 13, 2011 |
ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, Benjamin Natonabah, 42, was sentenced to a 30-month term of imprisonment for his child sex abuse conviction. Natonabah, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Tohatchi, New Mexico, will be on supervised release for five years after he completes his prison sentence and will be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Natonabah was indicted on January 12, 2011, and charged with two counts of sexual abuse in Indian country. The indictment alleged that Natonabah engaged in sexual acts, including sexual intercourse, with a female child on two occasions on or about January 12, 2010. Natonabah was arrested on January 26, 2011 and has been in federal custody since that time.
On June 13, 2011, Natonabah pled guilty to count one of the indictment charging him with sexual abuse. During his plea hearing, Natonabah admitted that on January 12, 2010, he engaged in sexual intercourse with a student at a high school where he was then employed. He also admitted knowing that the student was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack E. Burkhead.