David Green Edwards, 32, of Cherokee, N.C. was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for two counts of sexual contact with a minor occurring in 2014 in Indian Country, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Michael C. Scherck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents, in 2019, the child victim disclosed the sexual abuse dating back to 2014, when the victim would have been approximately five years old. Both the child and Edwards are enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. According to information filed with the court, the child victim disclosed that, on at least two different instances, Edwards touched inappropriately the victim’s private area with his hand and genitalia. Information presented in court showed that Edwards was interviewed multiple times by law enforcement and denied sexually abusing the child, however he did admit that he wished the victim was closer to his age.

Edwards is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. When released he will be required to register as a sex offender.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Indian Police Department, for their investigation of the case and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

Original source can be found here