The former North Dakota state senator Ray Holmberg, a Republican who served in the legislature for 45 years, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the 81-year-old from Grand Forks traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic about 14 times between 2011 and 2021.
During these trips, he paid for sexual acts with adolescent boys at a brothel and sought out underage boys in a public park near the main train station.
He reportedly used the alias “Sean Evans” on some occasions to avoid having his real name recorded, citing his position as a state legislator.
Court documents detail how he communicated with friends about the trips, encouraging them to join, sharing details like boys “renting” for around $60 (sex extra), and boasting about encounters with boys as young as 12 and 15.
He also faced allegations of manipulating a 16-year-old Canadian boy online to send explicit images.
Holmberg pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.
The sentencing occurred on March 26, 2025, exceeding the guidelines range that both sides had recommended (around 3-4 years), with the judge citing the severity of the offenses and ongoing risk.
This case was handled under Project Safe Childhood, the DOJ’s initiative against child exploitation."