Fort Belknap man admits aggravated sex abuse

From the Office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana

GREAT FALLS — A Fort Belknap man admitted in federal District Court Thursday to sexually abusing a girl on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

James Edward Snell Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse. Snell faces a minimum mandatory 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided and set sentencing for Oct. 24. Snell remains in custody.

Prosecutors said in court records that an investigation of Snell, and defendant Geneva Marie Nadeau, found photographs and videos of them in 2015 sexually abusing a girl, who was under the age of 12. Nadeau confirmed that Snell was in a photograph of a sex act involving the victim. Nadeau was sentenced in February to 22 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual abuse.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Weldon and Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.