Niobrara Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Larry Rouillard, 49, of Niobrara, Nebraska., was sentenced on August 25, 2011, to 30 months in prison by Senior United States District Judge Lyle E. Strom, for his sexual abuse conviction. In addition to his prison term, Rouillard will serve five years of supervised release following his release from prison.

Rouillard was charged with sexual abuse for engaging in a sexual act with a Native American female while she was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and was physically incapable of declining participation in or otherwise communicating an unwillingness to engage in a sexual act. The offense occurred on the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation near Niobrara, Nebraska. Rouillard was found guilty by a jury on June 2, 2011.

The evidence presented at trial showed that from the evening of May 29, 2010, into the early morning hours of May 30, 2010, the victim was drinking with Rouillard. The victim eventually passed out from the amount of alcohol she had consumed. Prior to passing out, she had not expressed any willingness to participate in any sexual acts with Rouillard. When she awoke, she had visible bruising on her right bicep and thigh, and some of her clothing had been removed or changed. Rouillard admitted engaging in a sexual act with the victim, but, at trial, claimed it had been consensual. The jury concluded otherwise.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Santee Sioux Police Department.