A shocking case of child abuse has come to light in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, with Benton Rowland, 32, facing serious charges.
According to the indictment, Rowland has been charged with three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The alleged abuse occurred between 2008 and 2014 in Manderson and Pine Ridge.
The maximum penalty for conviction is life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Rowland was indicted on November 16, 2016, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on November 30, 2016, where he pleaded not guilty to the indictment.
The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.
Rowland was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for February 7, 2017.
The charges are merely accusations, and Rowland is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Related Federal Cases
- Stanley Patrick Weber, Aggravated Sexual Abuse, South Dakota 2017 · Kansas
- Ryan Bissonette, Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force, South Dakota 2013 · South Dakota
- Frankie Marshall, Aggravated Sexual Abuse, South Dakota 2017 · South Dakota
- Boyer Thomas LaForge, Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Assault of a Spouse by Strangulation, Child Abuse, South Dakota 2019 · South Dakota
- Joshua John Max, Aggravated Sexual Abuse, South Dakota 2019 · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Sex Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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