Casamero Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – Arthur L. Ganadonegro, 24, pleaded guilty this morning to a felony information charging him with aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 years.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ganadonegro will be sentenced to a federal prison term within the range of ten to 12 years followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.  Ganadonegro also will be required to register as a sex offender.

Ganadonegro, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Casamero Lake, N.M., was arrested in March 2014, on a criminal complaint alleging that he sexual abused two Acoma Pueblo children when they were less than 12 years of age.  Ganadonegro subsequently was charged in a four-count indictment with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact.  The indictment alleged that Ganadonegro sexually abused one of the victims between Sept. 2013 and Nov. 2013, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.  It further alleged that Ganadonegro sexually abused the other victim between April 2008 and Dec. 2008, in a location within Acoma Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.
          
During today’s, Ganadonegro admitted that between April 2008 and Dec. 2008, he engaged in a sexual act with a child under the age of 12 years.  He also acknowledged committing the crime in Acoma Pueblo.

Ganadonegro has been in federal custody since his arrest.  He remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the Laguna Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Acoma Tribal Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.