A man from Parmelee, South Dakota, has been sentenced to nearly 18 years in federal prison for sexual abuse. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down the sentence to Curtis New Holy, age 34, on February 24, 2026.
New Holy received a sentence of 17 years and eight months in federal prison. He will also serve five years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025 and pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025.
The conviction is related to an incident that took place on August 4, 2024, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. According to court documents, New Holy agreed to drive a 12-year-old girl home from a residence near Parmelee during the early morning hours. The victim had consumed alcohol and was intoxicated at the time. New Holy engaged in sexual activity with her while she was intoxicated and semi-conscious.
“This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court,” according to United States Attorney Ron Parsons.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse across the country. “Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.” More information about this initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation was conducted by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson handled prosecution for this case.
New Holy was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
