West River man charged with sexual abuse of a minor on the Pine Ridge Reservation

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - A West River South Dakota man is being charged with three counts involving a minor.

Rowland Coomes, 35, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday to one count of knowingly attempting to entice a minor, possession of child pornography and a count of sexual abuse of a minor between the age of 12 to 16.

According to court documents, count one, enticing a minor, and count two, possession of child pornography, occurred around November 2021. His third count, sexual abuse of a minor, happened around March 7, 2021, and November 2022.

1. In the count brought against Coomes for enticing a minor, the US explained that using a cell phone Coomes tried to persuade a minor female to engage in sexual activity.
2. For the second count brought against Coomes for possession of child pornography, the US explained that Coomes knowingly possessed an image on his Facebook account that depicted child pornography.
3. In the third count that was brought against Coomes for sexual abuse of a minor, the US explained that Coomes engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with an underage person between 12 to 16 with the intent to fulfill a sexual desire.

He is now set for a detention hearing on April 12, 2023.

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