Zuni Pueblo Man Lasiloo Gets 8 Years for Child Abuse

Joshua Lasiloo, 32, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., is going to prison for eight years after admitting to sexually abusing a child under the age of 12. The grim sentence, handed down in federal court in Albuquerque, marks the end of a years-long investigation into a crime that cut deep into a tight-knit tribal community.

Lasiloo was arrested on October 23, 2015, following a three-count indictment accusing him of repeated sexual abuse from March to September 2013 in Indian Country within McKinley County. The charges painted a harrowing picture of prolonged exploitation, targeting a vulnerable child in a place meant to be safe.

On May 12, 2016, Lasiloo sidestepped trial by pleading guilty to abusive sexual contact of a minor via a felony information. In open court, he admitted to sexually abusing the victim between March 20, 2013, and September 21, 2013. His plea confirmed what investigators had long believed — that the abuse was not isolated, but systematic and sustained.

After his prison term, Lasiloo will face five years of supervised release — a period of strict oversight meant to monitor his reintegration into society. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, a lifelong consequence that follows those who prey on the powerless.

The case was jointly investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque office and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department, a rare collaboration that underscores the jurisdictional complexities of crimes committed in Indian Country. Federal prosecution was pursued due to the severity of the offense and the victim’s age.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez handled the prosecution as part of Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program combines federal, state, and local resources to track down offenders and rescue victims. For more on the initiative, visit www.justice.gov/psc.