Whiteriver Man Sentenced to Life in Prison

PHOENIX—On Feb. 7, 2012, Samuel James Seymour, 51, of Whiteriver, Ariz., was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt in Phoenix. Seymour was found guilty by a federal jury on June 16, 2011, of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor.

Evidence presented at trial showed that, starting in approximately 2000, Seymour began sexually abusing a minor. The abuse lasted for several years, and involved both sexual and physical abuse. The evidence also showed that, in 2005, Seymour sexually abused another minor. The evidence further revealed that, in 2008, Seymour was observed sexually abusing a third minor. Finally, the evidence brought to light that Seymour had been sexually abusing a number of young children of both genders over a lengthy period of time.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Dimitra H. Sampson and Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.