BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal indictment unsealed on Monday revealed that Ray Holmberg, a retired longtime North Dakota lawmaker, has been arrested and charged with traveling to Prague with the intent to rape a minor. The indictment also charged Holmberg with one count of receiving and attempting to receive images depicting child sexual abuse. Holmberg, who served more than 45 years in the North Dakota Senate, was taken into custody on Monday in Grand Forks following an arrest warrant.
The indictment accuses the 79-year-old Holmberg of traveling from North Dakota to the Czech Republic with the intention to rape a person under the age of 18 between June 2011 and November 2016. The indictment does not specify whether Holmberg made multiple trips to Prague during this period.
In addition to the intent to rape charges, the indictment alleges that Holmberg received or attempted to receive images depicting child sexual abuse from November 2012 to March 2013. The indictment also claims that Holmberg used aliases.
Last year, Holmberg resigned from the Senate after it was revealed that he had exchanged numerous text messages with an individual who was jailed on charges related to child sexual abuse images, as reported by local media outlet The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
Mark Friese, Holmberg’s attorney, was not immediately available for comment. Attempts to reach Holmberg directly were unsuccessful.
Holmberg’s initial court appearance was scheduled for Monday afternoon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota declined to comment further on the case but planned to issue a news release.
During his tenure in the North Dakota Senate, Holmberg chaired the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and was known for his role in budgetary matters. He announced his decision not to seek reelection in March 2022, citing stress and a decline in his ability to concentrate and recall events. Eventually, he resigned from his position.
Former North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner expressed disappointment and sadness over the indictment, stating that it overshadowed Holmberg’s years of public service. Wardner remarked that only the negative aspects of the case would be remembered if Holmberg is convicted.
Current Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, who worked alongside Holmberg, declined to comment on the indictment.
An AP review of Holmberg’s travel records revealed that he was reimbursed around $126,000 for nearly 70 out-of-state trips from 2013 to mid-April 2022. These trips included visits to numerous U.S. cities, as well as countries such as China, Canada, Puerto Rico, and several European nations.
In November 2021, law enforcement authorities searched Holmberg’s residence in Grand Forks, seizing video discs and other items.
The indictment follows the guilty plea of Nicholas James Morgan-Derosier, who admitted to possessing and distributing images depicting child sexual abuse. The Forum’s reporting indicated that Morgan-Derosier was the individual texting with Holmberg from jail. Morgan-Derosier is scheduled for sentencing in January.
