Laguna Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Mooney, 36, a member and resident of Laguna Pueblo pleaded guilty this morning to an aggravated sexual abuse charge.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Mooney will be sentenced to ten years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.  Mooney also will be required to register as a sex offender. 

Mooney’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales, DuWayne W. Honahni, Sr., Special Agent in Charge of District IV of BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and Chief Michelle F. Ray of the Pueblo of Laguna Police Department.

Mooney was arrested on June 12, 2008, based on a criminal complaint alleging that he sexually abused a child between the age of 12 and 16 years.  In July 2008, Mooney was indicted on aggravated sexual abuse charges.  Proceedings in the case were delayed by competency proceedings.

In his plea agreement, Mooney admitted that sexually abusing a minor child on a date between July 2003 and July 2004.  He further admitted that his unlawful conduct occurred on Laguna Pueblo. 

Mooney has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. 

This case was investigated by the Laguna Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard. 

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.