Fort Yates Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor

BISMARCK - U. S. attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Sept. 8, 2014, George Thunderhawk, 63, Fort Yates, N.D., was sentenced before U. S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve 41 months in prison for abusive sexual contact.

Thunderhawk was charged by Indictment for having abusive sexual contact with a minor under the age of twelve, stemming from an incident that occurred sometime between January 2008 and December 2008. Thunderhawk was found guilty of the charged offense after a two-day trial before a jury of twelve persons. Judge Hovland also sentenced Thunderhawk to five years supervised release and ordered that he pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund. Restitution in this case has been left open until Nov. 17, 2014.

The case was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs-Fort Yates.

Assistant U. S. Attorney Gary Delorme prosecuted the case.