Earlier this week in federal court, a 59-year-old man from the northern
Minnesota community of Grygla was
charged in a superseding indictment for sexually abusing two additional girls
while on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. On May 21, 2012, Dean Earl Wilkens was
charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12
and one count of abusive sexual conduct, in addition to the existing three
counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. Wilkens
remains in custody.
The indictment alleges that between December 12, 2008 and December 12, 2011,
Wilkens, an Indian, engaged in sexual acts with each of the three girls.
According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, on December 12,
2011, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was informed of one of the assaults.
One of the victims had disclosed the abuse to a school official, who contacted
law enforcement.
If convicted, Wilkens faces a potential maximum penalty of life in prison on
each count. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney
Clifford B. Wardlaw.
Because the Red Lake Indian Reservation is a federal-jurisdiction
reservation, some of the crimes that occur there are investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Red Lake Tribal
Police Department. Those cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause
to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of
course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty
at trial.
No comments:
Post a Comment