Former North Dakota U.S. Attorney breaks down Ray Holmberg’s Child Pornography Case

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – With the sex crimes charges against former State Senator Ray Holmberg. Former North Dakota U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon breaks down the case for us.

“These are not uncommon charges. What’s uncommon here is the high profile nature of the defendant and of course the growing evidence that this all occurred at taxpayer expense; those two things are uncommon.” Says Tim Purdon.

A federal grand jury indicted Holmberg with two counts.

The indictment claims Holmberg traveled multiple times to the Czech Republic for the purpose of engaging in sex with a minor, and that he knowingly received child pornography.

Purdon said the US needs to prove four things.

“Essentially the United States is alleging it has to prove four elements. They have to prove that former Senator Holmberg traveled interstate commerce or traveled internationally number one that he did so for the purposes of engaging in illicit sexual conduct that is commercial sex with a person under the age of 18. That’s it, those four elements.”

Purdon says the types of evidence used to indict Holmberg could vary widely.

“In my experience, different types of evidence they may have some sort of statements by Ray Holmberg himself perhaps he was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted this maybe maybe not I don’t know they may have a recorded conversations where he admitted to this, someone was wearing a wire that’s a possibility or they may have his own contemporaneous, emails, text messages to other people where in he tells them what he’s been doing my guess is they going to have some sort of evidence before they would bring an indictment like this.” Said Purdon.

Holmberg appeared in federal court in Fargo on Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was released on home electronic monitoring.