Arizona Man Charged with Four Sexual Assaults of a Child

ALBUQUERQUE - An Arizona man has been indicted in connection with four alleged sexual assaults on a child that occurred over a three-year period on the Navajo Nation.

According to court documents, between June 2017 and June 2020, Roman B. Ortiz, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in or attempted to engage in sex acts with a minor under 12 years old, doing so at a residence located within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation.

Ortiz is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Ortiz will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison per felony charge.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.