FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
JOHN STEVEN BIGBACK PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on October 17, 2007, before U.S. District Judge , JOHN STEVEN BIGBACK, a 21-year-old resident of Lame Deer, pled guilty to aggravated sexual abuse. Sentencing is set for January 23, 2008. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
During the early morning hours of October 14, 2006, the victim was walking through the west side of Lame Deer when an unidentified male, later identified as BIGBACK, began following her. The victim entered an abandoned house and BIGBACK followed her into the house. The victim turned on the lights in the house and BIGBACK turned them off. This happened a couple of times. Then BIGBACK grabbed the victim. The victim responded by telling BIGBACK, "Don't" and "Put me down." BIGBACK put the victim on the floor and sexually assaulted her.
The victim fled the abandoned house and telephoned her mother from a convenience store in Lame Deer, and asked her mother to come and pick her up because "something happened." The victim's mother picked her up a short time later. The victim was hysterical and crying when her mother picked her up. Her mother noticed that she had bruises on her body.
BIGBACK was interviewed several times. BIGBACK finally admitted that he did have sexual intercourse with the victim even though she protested and tried to physically resist him. He also admitted that the victim told him to stop twice when he was having sexual intercourse with her.
BIGBACK faces possible penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervision.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
