FBI seeks information in Hays child sex abuse investigation

The FBI Havre office is seeking information regarding a former local resident who has been charged in federal court in Billings with multiple counts relating to allegations of child sexual abuse.

A release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana said James Kirby King, 57, a former resident of Hays, has been indicted on multiple counts. He has been charged with

• Aggravated sexual abuse of a child, three counts.

• Incest, four counts.

• Sexual exploitation of children, three counts.

• Aggravated sexual abuse - rendering unconscious and drugging victim, two counts.

• Sexual abuse, two counts.

• Attempted aggravated sexual abuse - rendering unconscious and drugging victim, one count.

• Attempted sexual abuse, one count.

• Sexual abuse of a minor, one count.

• Aggravated sexual abuse, one count.

• Attempted possession with the intent to sell child pornography in Indian Country, one count, and

• Possession of child pornography in Indian Country, one count.

A release from FBI said its Salt Lake City Division at the Havre, Montana, Resident Agency is requesting assistance from anyone who may have been victimized by or have knowledge of sexual abuse of children involving King.

King has lived in multiple locations in Montana to include Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Billings, Ashland, and the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, the release said. He has additionally been employed in positions of trust to include work in a school setting and as a juvenile probation officer.

It adds that sexual abuse may include any type of sexual contact with a minor, sexually explicit images of anyone under the age of 18, or any exchange of money or tangible items to include shelter for participation in sexual activity or explicit images. 

The release says if people have knowledge that may be helpful to the investigation or are concerned about theirselves or a minor child, they may complete an online questionnaire at https://forms.fbi.gov/james-kirby-king-victims/view to provide additional information. People also may contact FBI Havre directly at 406-265-7181, option 20, and leave a message for the case agent.

Victim identities are private, and case-related information is confidential. 

The release said FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of crime in federal investigations and victims may be eligible for victim services and other rights under federal law.

The U.S. Attorney's Office release said King, now living in Billings, was arraigned Tuesday on the 20-count federal indictment alleging child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, child pornography, aggravated sexual abuse and other crimes involving multiple victims dating back 31 years on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.

King pleaded not guilty to the indictment unsealed Tuesday in federal court.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. King was detained pending further proceedings.

The release said that, as alleged in the indictment, from about 1992 to 2018 in Hays, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, King sexually abused and attempted to sexually abuse minor children and adults. In addition, King is accused of drugging minor children and an adult while sexually abusing and attempting to sexually abuse them; incest; sexually exploiting children; and child pornography crimes. The indictment identifies the victims as two minor girls, a victim both as a minor girl and a female adult, a female adult and one minor boy. Some of the victims were under the age of 12 at the time, some were under the age of 16 and some were adults.

If convicted of the most serious crime, King faces a maximum of life of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.