Red Lake man indicted for aggravated sexual abuse

A 60-year-old Red Lake man was indicted Tuesday in federal court for aggravated sexual abuse of a woman while on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

John David Neadeau was charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse.

According to the indictment, Neadeau is accused of engaging in a sexual act with force against the victim on Sept. 25.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.

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.

The U.S. Justice Department is taking steps to increase engagement, coordination and action relative to public safety in tribal communities, including the creation of the Violence Against Women Federal and Tribal Prosecution Task Force. This task force will explore current issues raised by professionals in the field and recommend “best practices” in prosecution strategies involving domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Violence against American Indian women occurs at epidemic rates. In 2005, Congress found that one in three American Indian women is raped during her lifetime, and American Indian women are nearly three times more likely to be battered in during their lives than Caucasian women.