Mescalero man sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual abuse of a child

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – James Darius Caje, 28, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, was sentenced on Jan. 11 in federal court to 10 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor. Caje pleaded guilty on June 10, 2021.

According to the plea agreement and other court records, on the night of Feb. 24 or early morning Feb. 25, 2020, Caje allegedly entered the bedroom of the victim, who was 14-years old, and sexually assaulted her. The following day, the victim reported the assault to a school counselor, who then reported it to law enforcement. The assault occurred on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

Upon his release from prison, Caje will be subject to 40 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan prosecuted the case.