United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for Enticement of a Minor, Possession of Child Pornography, and Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Rowland Coomes, age 35, was indicted in February of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on April 5, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count of conviction. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Coomes using his cellular phone to entice a minor female to engage in sexual activity in November of 2021. Coomes also possessed child pornography on his social media account. Between March of 2021 and November of 2022, Coomes sexually abused another minor female at Pine Ridge.
The charges are merely accusations and Coomes is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.
Coomes was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for June 13, 2023.
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