Longtime North Dakota senator Holmberg given sentencing date for child sex crimes after decades of alleged abuse

Former North Dakota State Senator Ray Holmberg, 81, faces sentencing March 26 after pleading guilty to traveling to Prague for commercial sex with minors. He could receive up to 30 years in prison, though prosecutors recommend 37 months with lifetime supervision. Court documents allege Holmberg engaged in a decades-long pattern of grooming and exploiting children both internationally and domestically, including while working as a high school guidance counselor. He also solicited materials online. Prosecutors claim he targeted vulnerable youth, using his political position to exploit adolescent boys. Holmberg resigned in 2022 after serving 46 years in the state senate following media reports linking him to another individual sentenced for trading child sexual abuse materials.