Pine Ridge Man Acquitted of Sexual Abuse

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man was acquitted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Sexual Abuse as a result of a federal jury trial in Rapid City on April 13, 2017.

Ryan Bissonette, age 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 17, 2014.

The charges related to an incident that occurred on August 8, 2013, near Pine Ridge. Bissonette was alleged to have used force to engage in a sexual act with a female incapable of consenting, by penetrating her genital opening with his hand and fingers.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.