5.07.210 A Prosecution for the Sexual Abuse Child; Statute of Limitations

A prosecution for the sexual abuse of a child where the victim was under eighteen (18) years of age at the time the offense was committed must be commenced in Tribal Court within seven (7) years after the commission of the offense. If the victim failed to report the offense within this limitation period, the limitation is three (3) years after the offense is reported to law enforcement authorities. If the victim was under the age of fifteen at the time of the commission of the abuse, the seven-year limitation does not begin to run until the victim has reached the age of fifteen. If the defendant leaves the jurisdiction of the Tribal Court after the offense has been committed, the only applicable limitation is that the complaint must be filed within seven (7) years of the act or seven (7) years of when the victim turns fifteen (15) years of age. No time during which the defendant is not an inhabitant of, or usually resident within this tribal jurisdiction, is part of the limitation.