Parmelee Man Charged with Child Abuse
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 04, 2013 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Joseph Morrisette, age 53, was indicted on August 21, 2013, for child abuse. Morrisette appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on September 3, 2013, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, an additional two years of supervised release upon revocation, and a mandatory $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge is merely an accusation, and Morrisette is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The indictment alleges that on July 9, 2013, Morrisette struck a child and exposed three other children to danger.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy M. Maher is prosecuting the case.
Morrisette was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.