A 39-year-old Chadron, Nebraska, man was sentenced to four years in federal prison for engaging in abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. William Bear Robe’s crime, committed in 2012 in Oglala, South Dakota, culminated in a conviction following a hard-fought federal jury trial in Rapid City.
Bear Robe stood before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on January 27, 2023, where he was handed a 48-month prison term, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Immediately after sentencing, Bear Robe was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case traces back to June 2019, when a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Bear Robe with Abusive Sexual Contact. The charges, steeped in the trauma of a young victim, were not resolved quickly—nearly three years passed before a jury found Bear Robe guilty in September 2022.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Bear Robe had sexually assaulted the child during a period when the victim was especially vulnerable. The abuse occurred on tribal land, triggering federal jurisdiction and drawing in the FBI, which led a dogged investigation into the crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen, who prosecuted the case, emphasized the lasting damage inflicted on the victim and the importance of holding Bear Robe accountable under federal law. “This sentence sends a clear message: predators who harm children will face serious consequences,” Poppen stated.
The FBI’s role in uncovering the truth was pivotal. Agents spent years gathering testimony and physical evidence to build a case strong enough to withstand defense challenges. U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell praised the investigative work, calling it “a relentless pursuit of justice for a voiceless victim.”
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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