A former state legislator from North Dakota has been sentenced to ten years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors during multiple trips to Prague, Czech Republic. Raymon (Ray) Everett Holmberg, 81, from Grand Forks, admitted to traveling to Prague approximately 14 times over a decade starting in 2011, where he paid for sex acts with underage boys at a brothel catering to such clientele.
The court documents revealed that Holmberg, who used the alias “Sean Evans” during his stays, avoided registering under his real name because of his political status. Witnesses informed law enforcement that Holmberg frequented a public park near Prague's main train station to solicit sex from underage boys.
Holmberg encouraged friends to visit Prague, referring to the younger boys as “twinks” and describing their experiences as “decadent.” In one communication, Holmberg shared an image of a young boy, remarking that “no one is ever to [sic] young . . . remember Prague.” He also suggested a summer trip with a friend, noting, “The boys rent at around $60 . . . (sex is extra).”
The government’s sentencing memorandum also highlighted Holmberg’s predatory behavior extended beyond Prague. It cited an online relationship Holmberg had with a 16-year-old Canadian boy, where he deceived the boy by posing as a peer to acquire explicit images.
Holmberg pled guilty on August 8, 2024, to charges related to his foreign travels for illicit sexual conduct. The announcement of the sentencing was made by Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, along with Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl for the District of North Dakota.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations in Grand Forks and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, alongside Acting U.S. Attorney Puhl.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. More information on this initiative is available at www.justice.gov/psc.
