Jury finds Minnesota man guilty of sexual abuse charges on Crow Indian Reservation

BILLINGS - A Minnesota man who sexually abused two children on the Crow Indian Reservation was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, Robert Dean Dust, 35, was found guilty of two counts of abusive sexual contact of a child and one count of aggravated sexual abuse. Dust faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 25, 2026. Dust was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in May 2024 Jane Does 1 and 2 disclosed to police Dust subjected them to years of sexual abuse in Lodge Grass.

Jane Does 1 and 2 both disclosed Dust sexually abused them in their home regularly beginning when they were 4 and 5 years old and he was 20. Both victims described how Dust made them perform sexual acts on him and how he performed sexual acts on them. Jane Does 1 and 2 said Dust's abuse continued until around 2015.

On October 18, 2024, law enforcement interviewed Dust and the interview was recorded. During the interview, he initially denied the abuse, but eventually admitted he sexually abused Jane Doe 1. Dust admitted he had Jane Doe 1 perform oral sex on him and that he touched his penis to her vagina.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and BIA.

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