Browning man sentenced to more than eight years in prison for raping girl on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS  — A Browning man who was convicted by a jury of raping a girl in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, was sentenced on Aug. 15 to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

After a two-day trial in March, the jury found William Ronald Blackman, 31, guilty of attempted sexual abuse and two counts of sexual abuse.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that Blackman sexually abused the victim, identified as Jane Doe, on three occasions when she was physically incapable of declining participating in a sexual act. Jane Doe, who was approximately 15 years old at the time, had passed out from alcohol intoxication and woke up to Blackman sexually abusing or having intercourse with her. The assaults occurred in 2019 and 2020. The victim ultimately reported the sexual abuse to a counselor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.

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