Source: Office of United States Attorneys
GREAT FALLS — A Heart Butte man accused of sexually abusing children on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges on Jan. 14, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Bradley Joseph Guardipee, 26, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and commission of a sex offense by a registered sex offender. Guardipee faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to life of supervised release on the aggravated sexual abuse charges and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any sentence imposed on the aggravated sexual abuse charges, for the commission of a sexual offense by a registered sex offender.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 28. Guardipee was detained pending further proceedings.
In a plea agreement, the parties agreed that a specific disposition of between 20 years and 30 years in prison is appropriate in this case.
The government alleged in court documents that in July 2024, Jane Doe 3 disclosed that she was sexually assaulted by Guardipee in 2022, when she was 11 and was in a residence alone with Guardipee. Doe 3 was taking a nap when Guardipee sexually assaulted her. Doe 3 reported that she knew at least four other girls who were sexually abused by Guardipee. Forensic interviews followed and six girls disclosed some kind of abusive touching by Guardipee.
The government also alleged that Jane Doe 1 reported being sexually abused by the defendant since she was about three years old. She reported in March 2024, when she was 12 years old, that Guardipee sexually abused her while she was in a vehicle with him. At the time of the March 2024 assault on Doe 1, Guardipee was required to register as a sex offender. Guardipee was required to register after being convicted by a guilty plea in May 2023 to sexual assault in state District Court in Cascade County.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the FBI conducted the investigation.
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