Taos Pueblo man indicted for aggravated sexual assault

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Amadius Archuleta was arraigned on Aug. 18 on an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual assault in Indian Country. Archuleta, 22, of Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

According to the indictment and other court records, on July 2, Archuleta contacted a 14-year-old victim, identified as Jane Doe, through Instagram. Archuleta allegedly invited the victim to meet. When they met later that evening, Archuleta allegedly led the victim to an abandoned house to smoke marijuana and provided her with alcohol. Though the victim told Archuleta that she had only recently turned 14 years old, Archuleta allegedly initiated sexual contact with the victim. Jane Doe asked Archuleta to stop, but he allegedly forcibly engaged in sexual conduct with the victim.

Jane Doe was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Taos for examination, then transported to Solace Crisis Treatment Center in Santa Fe.

Archuleta and Jane Doe are both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Taos, and the alleged offense was committed in the Taos Pueblo.

An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Archuleta faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison in prison.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case 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/.

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