An Indigenous man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on child sex abuse charges after being found guilty of forcefully sexually abusing a minor who lived in his South Dakota home, the Justice Department announced.

Earlwyn Makes Room For Them, 28, of the Crow Creek Reservation, has been convicted of abusive sexual contact of a child by force. He was sentenced on June 10 to 15 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, per the DOJ.

The victim was under the age of 12 and lived in his home on the reservation in Fort Thompson. His relationship with the victim has not been made clear.

He pleaded guilty in May 2024 after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023.

According to the Department of Justice, the defendant forced the victim to touch his genitalia and then forced his hand down the young victim's pants and touched her groin.

The case was prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court. This case was investigated by the FBI.
 

US Marshals remanded the man into custody immediately following sentencing.