United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Kyle, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact.
Frankie Standing Bear, age 31, was indicted on Nov. 22, 2017. Standing Bear appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on Nov. 29, 2017, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Standing Bear engaging in a sexual act with a child who had not attained the age of 12 between March 1, 2016, and Sept. 15, 2017, at Kyle.
The charges are merely accusations and Standing Bear is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.
Standing Bear was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for February 6, 2018.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
