South Dakota man sentenced to over 12 years in prison for sexually abusing two victims on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS – An South Dakota man who sexually abused two victims on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 148 in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Farron Gene American Horse, Sr., 40, was found guilty by a jury in April 2025 of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged at trial and in court documents that American Horse sexually abused the victims in September and October 2020 in Hays, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. In October 2020, one victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, who had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet reached the age of 16 years, disclosed being sexually abused by American Horse. About this time, another victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, who also had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet reached the age of 16 years, disclosed that American Horse had touched her.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.

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