GREAT FALLS — A Billings man, formerly of Hays, was arraigned today on a 20-count federal indictment alleging child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, child pornography, aggravated sexual abuse and other crimes involving multiple victims dating back 31 years on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
James Kirby King, 57, pleaded not guilty to an indictment unsealed today in federal court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. King was detained pending further proceedings.
As alleged in the indictment, from about 1992 to 2018 in Hays, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, King sexually abused and attempted to sexually abuse minor children and adults. In addition, King is accused of drugging minor children and an adult while sexually abusing and attempting to sexually abuse them; incest; sexually exploiting children; and child pornography crimes. The indictment identifies the victims as two minor girls, a victim both as a minor girl and a female adult, a female adult and one minor boy. Some of the victims were under the age of 12 at the time, some were under the age of 16 and some were adults.
The indictment charges King with:
- Aggravated sexual abuse of a child, three counts.
- Incest, four counts.
- Sexual exploitation of children, three counts.
- Aggravated sexual abuse—rendering unconscious and drugging victim, two counts.
- Sexual abuse, two counts.
- Attempted aggravated sexual abuse—rendering unconscious and drugging victim, one count.
- Attempted sexual abuse, one count.
- Sexual abuse of a minor, one count.
- Aggravated sexual abuse, one count.
- Attempted possession with the intent to sell child pornography in Indian Country, one count.
- Possession of child pornography in Indian Country, one count.
If convicted of the most serious crime, King faces a maximum of life of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
If you believe you are a victim of alleged sexual abuse by James Kirby King or have information related to the charged conduct in this case, please contact the FBI’s Havre Resident Agency: (406) 265-7181, option 20, and leave a message for the case agent, or visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/james-kirby-king-investigation.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Myers and Ryan G. Weldon are prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
PACER case reference. 23-98.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
XXX