Brian Begay, a 30-year-old Shiprock resident and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty on Apr. 9 to charges of sexually abusing a minor over a span of four years.
According to court documents, Begay engaged in repeated sexual abuse against Jane Doe from 2015 through 2019. The abuse began when the victim was 12 years old and continued until she was 16.
Begay admitted guilt to charges of sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact. He now faces up to life in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the plea agreement. The case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders who exploit children online as well as rescue victims.
