Vernon Niiha, Sex Crimes, New Mexico 2015

Vernon Niiha Sentenced for Sex Crimes in New Mexico

A 54-year-old man from Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.

Vernon Niiha, a member of Zuni Pueblo who resides in Blackrock, New Mexico, was sentenced on an indictment charging him with sexually abusing a child under the age of 12 years. According to the indictment, Niiha committed the crime at some time between March 2002 and March 2003, in Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, New Mexico.

Niiha entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with abusive sexual contact, and admitted sexually abusing the victim on February 25, 2015. This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.

The case was filed as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Niiha will also be required to register as a sex offender as part of his sentence. The sentence of 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release is a result of his guilty plea. Niiha's case is a stark reminder of the need for continued vigilance in protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative that aims to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and prosecute those who commit these crimes. The initiative relies on the collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend individuals who exploit children via the Internet.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/zuni-pueblo-man-sentenced-sexually-abusing-child