Ray Holmberg, a former North Dakota state senator, has signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on charges of traveling to Europe to pay for sex with a minor. Holmberg, 80, agreed to plead guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity. Prosecutors will recommend a prison sentence of three to four years and dismiss a charge of receipt and attempted receipt of child sexual abuse material. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The maximum penalties for the charge include 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release. Sentencing is expected this fall. Holmberg, who served from 1976 to mid-2022, resigned after it was reported he exchanged texts with a man jailed for child sexual abuse material.
Holmberg’s indictment, unsealed in October 2023, alleged he traveled to Prague multiple times from 2011 to 2016 with the intent to pay for sex with a minor. Records show he traveled extensively on state funds, including trips to Prague in 2011, 2018, and 2019. Following his indictment, the North Dakota School Boards Association returned $142,000 to the state and ended its involvement in the Global Bridges teacher exchange program.
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