An assistant basketball coach on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation in northcentral Montana has been charged with sexual abuse of a minor.
The criminal complaint was filed in Federal District Court in Great Falls against Christopher Brown of Box Elder Jan. 23.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston oversaw a hearing on the charges Jan. 28. According to documents, Brown is in the custody of the court.
As detailed in the complaint, 31-year-old Brown allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a female minor at least six times between July 2018 and November 2019 starting when the child was 12 years old.
Brown worked as an assistant coach at Stone Child College and also coached basketball at Rocky Boy middle and high schools. Court documents say Brown became acquainted with the victim through his work as a coach and relationships with friends. While Brown is not Native American, the female minor is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe.
Both the FBI and the Rocky Boy’s Police Department investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment and Brown’s defense attorney did not respond to Yellowstone Public Radio’s request for comment by deadline.
If convicted, Brown may be charged with a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. The case will next to be presented to a grand jury for an indictment.
