Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Person Incapable of Consenting was sentenced on January 4, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Ronnie Keith Circle Bear, age 52, was sentenced to 121 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Circle Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2014, for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and one count of Sexual Abuse of a Person Incapable of Consenting. He pled guilty to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Person Incapable of Consenting on October 6, 2015.

The conviction arose from a June 2014 incident when Circle Bear was living in Rapid City and traveled to Eagle Butte as part of his job. Circle Bear contacted the victim’s mother and asked if the victim could go with him to Eagle Butte so they could later attend a pow-wow in McLaughlin.  The victim was 17-years old at the time.

The victim rode with Circle Bear from Rapid City to Eagle Butte. When they arrived in Eagle Butte, Circle Bear got a motel room. He then purchased some peppermint schnapps and flavored vodka that he mixed with cranberry juice and provided to the victim. The victim drank the alcohol and after several hours, passed out on the bed with her clothes on. Circle Bear knew the victim was incapacitated and was incapable of declining any sexual advances, but he removed her pants and underwear and proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her anyway. The victim woke up while Circle Bear was having intercourse with her. When he stopped, she asked Circle Bear for her clothes, got dressed, and went to the front desk at the motel to ask for help. The motel clerk called the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police Department.

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Circle Bear was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.