SPOKANE, Wash. — A Nespelem man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for sex crimes involving children that happened on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
31-year-old Lance Scott Michel pleaded guilty to charges for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.
Following the 18-year prison sentence, Michel will be placed on a lifetime of supervised release.
Court documents say in early 2023, Michel began communicating with multiple minors on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation over social media.
Michel, who was 29 at the time, gave the young girls items such as vaping products. Michel then went on to sexually abuse two 15-year-olds.
“Mr. Michel targeted minors from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with the explicit intent to sexually abuse them. Protecting children and holding accountable those who seek to exploit and harm them are top priorities of my office,” said United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano. “We will continue to seek out and prosecute these heinous crimes thanks to our dedicated team and our FBI and tribal partners.”
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