New Mexico man sentenced for having sexual contact with child

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by: Laila Freeman

Posted: Oct 4, 2023 / 07:45 AM MDT

Updated: Oct 4, 2023 / 10:31 AM MDT

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A man has been sentenced for sex crimes. The man is from Standing Rock and is a member of the Navajo Nation.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Brandon Yazzie, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact in May 2023.

Records stated, in 2021, the FBI was contacted by an Arizona police department about a child who was sexually abused.

Court documents claimed, between 2020 and 2021, Yazzie made sexual contact with the child at his New Mexico home multiple times and tried to make the victim keep the crime a secret.

Yazzie was sentenced to 17 years in prison and will have to be supervised for 10 years after release. He also has to register as a sex offender.

See the full DOJ release here.