Stilwell man sentenced for sexual abuse

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that a Stilwell man was sentenced to seven years in prison for sexual abuse in Indian Country.

Joseph Gene Christie, 18, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and is required to register and comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act upon release.

Charges against Christie arose after a probe by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Cherokee Nation Lighthorse Police, the Stilwell Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to reports, Christie sexually assaulted an individual at a Stilwell residence on March 6, 2023. He pleaded guilty to one count of felony information of sexual abuse on Jan. 18, 2024.

Honorable Judge John C. Coughenour presided over the hearing and Christie will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Benjamin D. Traster prosecuted the case.