Pine Ridge Man Indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor.

Benton Rowland, age 32, was indicted on November 16, 2016.  Rowland appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on November 30, 2016, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to Rowland sexually abusing a minor between 2008 and 2014 at Manderson and Pine Ridge.

The charges are merely accusations and Rowland is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.

Rowland was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has been set for February 7, 2017.