PORTLAND, Ore.— U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced today that Jesse James Hicks, 34, of Warm Springs, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with aggravated sexual abuse of two young children on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
According to court documents, on Oct. 16, 2026, officers with the Warm Springs Police Department responded to a residence on the Warm Springs Reservation after receiving a report that a man had been found in a bedroom with two young children.
Investigators allege that a family member entered the bedroom and observed Hicks with one of the children under circumstances that raised immediate concern. The witness promptly alerted other family members.
According to court documents, Hicks initially denied wrongdoing but later admitted to unlawful conduct involving one of the children during interviews with federal investigators.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and involve the exploitation of exceptionally vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Protecting children from sexual abuse remains one of our highest priorities. We will continue working alongside our Tribal, local, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate these crimes and pursue justice for victims and their families.”
Hicks is charged with aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Warm Springs Police Department.
The Special Prosecutions Unit for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.