Kelly Tyrell Bell, Sexual Abuse and Abusive Sexual Contact, South Dakota 2016

Sexual Abuse Charges Rock Wounded Knee Community

A 26-year-old Wounded Knee man has been accused of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact, leaving the community reeling with shock and outrage.

Kelly Tyrell Bell, also known as Kelly Thunder Horse, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 22, 2016, on charges of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

According to the indictment, Bell allegedly engaged in a sexual act with an incapacitated person on January 22, 2016, in Kyle. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 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 in this case. The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman is prosecuting the case.

Bell appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on March 25, 2016, and pleaded not guilty to the indictment. He was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has been set for May 31, 2016.

The charges are merely accusations, and Bell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The community is waiting with bated breath for the outcome of this case, hoping for justice to be served.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/wounded-knee-man-indicted-sexual-abuse-and-contact-charges