Former North Dakota State Senator indicted in federal court on child sex tourism, pornography charges

(Fargo, ND) – A former North Dakota State Senator has been indicted in federal court on child sex tourism and child porn charges.

Raymond Everett Holmberg, age 79, of Grand Forks, was indicted Thursday in US District Court in Fargo on charges of child sex tourism and receipt of child pornography. He appeared for an initial appearance and arraignment today in federal court in Fargo.

The indictment, which was unsealed Monday, alleges that, beginning in June 2011 through November 2016, Holmberg “repeatedly traveled from North Dakota to Prague, Czech Republic, for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts with a person under the age of 18 years.” The indictment also alleges that on November 24, 2012, and continuing until March 4, 2013, Holmberg received, and attempted to receive, child porn depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

He has pled not guilty. An initial trial date has been scheduled for December 5.

“I commend the United States Attorney’s Office for directing this painstaking investigation in the pursuit of justice,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement Monday afternoon. “In early February 2022, within hours of my taking the Oath of Office as Attorney General, the US Attorney’s Office and the leadership of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) briefed me on the early stages of this joint federal and state investigation. I immediately instructed the BCI to move this case to priority status where it remains today, due to the on-going nature of this investigation.”