Santo Domingo man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of child

Santiago Quintana, 70, of Santo Domingo Pueblo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Jan. 2 after he pled guilty to abusive sexual contact on Sept. 21, 2023.

According to court documents, on Jan. 25, 2023, the Bureau of Indian Affairs received an allegation involving the sexual abuse of children from a school principal. A forensic interviewer from the FBI interviewed the victim, who stated that she and her sibling had been sexually abused by Quintana for about six years, beginning when they were 6 and 7 years old, and the siblings had both witnessed Quintana sexually abusing the other.

In his plea agreement, Quintana admitted to engaging in sexual contact with the victim, who was age 12-16. The plea agreement states that Quintana used his fingers to touch the children’s genital areas.

Upon his release from prison, Quintana will be subject to 15 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.