Yakima, Wash. – A Wapato man convicted of unlawful contact with a 13-year-old girl on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation has been sentenced to a year in federal prison.
Geordell Devon Arthur, 23, was 19 when the crime occurred on or around May 10, 2021 and that the victim alleged Arthur’s friends confronted the victim and threatened her with harm if she spoke to law enforcement, according to a release by United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref.
“The harm to victims in cases like these cannot be understated,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “It takes courage for victims to come forward, especially when an abuser attempts to silence them. My office is committed to prioritizing offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable victims.”
“Mr. Arthur assaulted and then tried to intimidate his victim into silence.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “However, she displayed courage instead of fear and now her attacker is headed to prison. I applaud her actions as well as those of the investigators who seek justice for victims of these appalling crimes.”
Along with 12 months in federal prison on one count of unlawful sexual contact, a federal judge also imposed five years of supervised release. Arthur will be required to register as a sex offender, the release said.
