Jury finds Crow Agency man guilty of sexual abuse on the Crow Indian Reservation

BILLINGS - A Crow Agency man who sexually abused a minor on the Crow Indian Reservation was found guilty by a federal jury today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Following a three-day trial, Jared Cordell Stewart, 54, was found guilty of one count of abusive sexual contact of a child. Stewart faces up to life in prison, 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 4, 2026. Stewart was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in July of 2020 Jane Doe disclosed Stewart had been sexually abusing her. However, during a visit from law enforcement Doe denied the abuse.

About one year later, in October 2021, the police spoke with Jane Doe again. This time she said Stewart had sexually abused her many times, beginning when she was seven or eight years old. Law enforcement interviewed everyone who lived in the home, and many reported seeing Stewart go into Jane Doe's room at night and after she showered. Some of the other people who lived in the home reported seeing Stewart treat Jane Doe differently and saw inappropriate photos of her on his cell phone. One child reported that while he was visiting the home he witnessed Stewart touch Jane Doe's legs while she was in bed. Another minor, Jane Doe 2, reported Stewart made inappropriate comments about her and approached her while she was alone and asleep in her room on one occasion. Jane Doe 2 said she refused Stewart's advances, and she believes he thereafter targeted Jane Doe.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI.

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