Navajo Man Receives 92-Month Prison Sentence for Federal Child Sex Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning, United States District Judge M. Christina Armijo sentenced Gordon Jeremiah Nez, 28, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, to a 92-month term of imprisonment to be followed by five-year term of supervised release based on his conviction for abusive sexual contact. Nez also will be required to register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said Nez was charged with engaging in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 in a one-count indictment that was filed on September 11, 2007. Although Nez initially was released to a halfway house after his arraignment on the indictment, he has been in federal custody since November 3, 2008 after violating the terms of his pretrial release.

On September 1, 2009, Nez entered a guilty plea to the indictment under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. In his plea agreement, Nez admitted that, on June 15, 2006, he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 by touching the child on her genitals, breasts, and buttocks and for the purpose of gratifying his own sexual desires. Nez further admitted that the child was in his care when he engaged in this unlawful conduct, which occurred in Indian Country.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Glynette R. Carson-McNabb.