A federal grand jury has charged former North Dakota state Sen. Raymon “Ray” Holmberg (R-Grand Forks) with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and receiving child pornography.
Holmberg, 79, was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota last Thursday. He made his first court appearance at his arraignment today.
Holmberg pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. An initial trial date has been set for Dec. 5, 2023.
The indictment states Holmberg regularly journeyed from North Dakota to Prague, Czech Republic, during a period from June 2011 until November 2016 to engage in commercial sex acts with a person under the age of 18.
If convicted, he faces up to 50 years in prison.
The Justice Department has provided further details:
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul made the announcement.
HSI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Puhl are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with ICAC, marshals federal, state, and local law enforcement resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces focused on investigations of online child sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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