United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Jerome Moses Goodhouse, Jr., age 30, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, was found guilty of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and one count of Witness Tampering as a result of a federal jury trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on August 24, 2022.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 30 years up to life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Goodhouse was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2022.
In 2017, Goodhouse sexually abused two minor children in McLaughlin on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. After abusing one minor, he threatened her and told her to remain quiet about what he did to her.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron J. Cook and Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for November 14, 2022. The defendant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.