Little Eagle Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing Child Abuse

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from Little Eagle, South Dakota, convicted of Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on September 15, 2025.

Leslie Gerald Bobtail Bear, age 27, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Bobtail Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025.

The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between May 12, 2023, and November 21, 2024, when Bobtail Bear and his romantic partner severely neglected their baby, leading to the child's emergency hospitalization. The conduct occurred in Corson County, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Bobtail Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.