James Dean Bledsoe, a 32-year-old resident of Muldrow, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to three counts of child abuse in Indian Country. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced this development.
According to the indictment, Bledsoe was accused of willfully and maliciously harming three children in his care between January 1 and September 24, 2024. The allegations included restraining the children, covering their mouths, punishing them with cold water, and withholding food. These incidents occurred in Sequoyah County within the Cherokee Nation Reservation's boundaries.
The case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muldrow Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Edward Snow accepted Bledsoe's plea in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. A presentence investigation report is ordered to be completed while Bledsoe remains in custody under the United States Marshals Service until sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the prosecution.
