A 34-year-old Farmington man has been charged federally in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of two minor victims, and KOAT reports that he could face up to life in prison if convicted. Raleigh Jackson, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, faces two counts of aggravated sexual abuse tied to the case.
According to KOAT, court documents allege that Jackson engaged in sexual acts with two minor victims. The outlet reports that Jackson is accused of sexually abusing two children.
The investigation involves the FBI’s Farmington Resident Agency, the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations; Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. The federal announcement also underscores that the charges remain allegations: Jackson is presumed innocent unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement names the investigative agencies and prosecutor.
Charges and What Comes Next
The prosecution sits within a broader federal-tribal framework in New Mexico, rather than being an isolated local case. The District of New Mexico includes 22 Native American communities, among them the Navajo Nation, and its stated priorities in Indian Country include prosecuting violent crime and reducing violence against women and children. The office says its public-safety operations plan is updated yearly and is intended to guide work with tribal governments and law enforcement. The district’s Indian Country public-safety overview describes those priorities and partnerships.
Jackson is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse, per the same report. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison, the station notes.
A prior New Mexico federal case resulted in a life sentence in a child-sexual-abuse prosecution, but it does not predict the outcome here. In 2019, a jury convicted Francis Woody of one count of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact involving children; he was sentenced to life in prison. The charges and evidence in that case were distinct from Jackson’s, whose case has not yet gone to trial.
For now, Jackson will remain on conditions of release while the case moves through federal court, the report states. A trial date has not yet been scheduled, according to the outlet's reporting.
