Ray Holmberg Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation

Former North Dakota lawmaker Ray Holmberg, 80, has pleaded guilty to traveling to Europe with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors. Holmberg, who served in the state Senate for over 45 years, traveled to Prague 14 times between 2011 and 2021, engaging in commercial sex acts with adolescent boys. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Holmberg's plea deal includes dropping a charge of receiving child sexual abuse material and recommending a sentence at the low end of the guideline range. Despite being under strict pretrial release conditions, Holmberg violated them multiple times, including accessing the internet without approval. The former lawmaker also used public funds for some of his trips to Europe.