Lame Deer Pastor Sentenced For Child Sex Abuse

From the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana:

A former pastor in Lame Deer, Montana, who was convicted in a jury trial of sexually abusing children on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by a LIFETIME of supervised release.

On December 11th, 2023, a federal jury found the defendant, Dean Alan Smith, 67 of Lame Deer, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact by force, and two counts of abusive sexual contact by force and of a child.

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The U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich shared his thoughts on this verdict:

Pastor Smith’s prison sentence, while significant, does not come close to the lifetime of trauma his victims will have to endure.  But I hope knowing that Smith will likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison gives them some peace of mind that he won’t be able to abuse others.  Far too often, and unacceptably so, we are unable to obtain justice for children sexually abused in Indian Country.  But justice was achieved here, and it would not have occurred without the bravery of our victims or the tenacity of our federal partners and prosecutors, for which I am grateful.

According to the court:

Smith was the pastor of a local church in Lame Deer, Montana, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. During his time on the reservation, he and his wife hosted other children from the community. In around 2021 and 2022, four girls, identified as Jane Does 1, 2, 3, and 4, disclosed being sexually abused by Smith between 2017 and 2020 when they were staying or living at Smith's home.

The government alleged that Smith abused each of them, separately, and in private, on multiple occasions. All of the victims were under the age of 12 at the time.