Acoma Man Receives 72-Month Prison Sentence for Child Sex Abuse Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning, United States District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Leander Valdo, 42, to a 72-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release based on his conviction for aggravated sexual abuse. Valdo also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Valdo has been in federal custody since his arrest on January 19, 2010.

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Valdo, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Acoma, was charged in an indictment charging him with (1) aggravated sexual abuse and (2) abusive sexual contact on September 22, 2009. Valdo entered a guilty plea to count one of the indictment on November 19, 2010 under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney's Office. In his plea agreement, Valdo admitted that, between January 3, 2006 and May 2006, he knowingly engaged in a sexual act with his 13-year-old niece. Specifically, Valdo admitted that he forcibly used his finger to penetrate the child's genital opening for the purpose of gratifying his own sexual desires. Valdo's illegal conduct took place within the boundaries of the Pueblo of Laguna.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.