FARGO, N.D. – Former Republican State Senator Ray Holmberg of Grand Forks has been sentenced to 10 years on federal child sex tourism charges.
U.S. Judge Daniel Hovland made his decision on sentencing after seven hours of testimony.
The 81-year-old who spent more than 45 years in the North Dakota legislature plead guilty to that charge and federal charges of receiving child pornography were dropped. Holmberg admitted to flying to Prague, Czech Republic and having sex with a boy.
Prosecutors asked for three to four years in prison and supervised release for life. Holmberg’s attorney, Mark Friese, asked for 145 days of time served and supervised release.
At sentencing at the Quentin Burdick Federal Courthouse, Holmberg was wearing an orange jumpsuit and was handcuffed at the wrists and ankles with a chain attached. He was going up and down in his chair, taking notes and passing them to his attorneys.
Private investigator Chuck Anderson testified at sentencing he talked to Holmberg after he was charged and the former politician said he thought the age of consent in the Czech Republic was 16 or 17.
According to the court documents, Holmberg is also accused of soliciting teens attending Grand Forks Central High School and the University of North Dakota in exchange for money or hockey tickets.
Court documents say in 2021 Nicolas James-DeRosier was in the Grand Forks County Correctional Center on child porn, transporting minors with intent to engage in sexual activity and traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity charges when he texted Holmberg about meeting with Morgan-DeRosier’s adult boyfriend to give him a massage.
Holmberg’s home was raided by Homeland Security agents where they say they found child porn on his devices. An email where he used the alias Sean Evans saying “The boys rent at around $60 (sex is extra)” and “No one is ever too young …remember Prague.” On state-funded trips, in cooperation with Altantik-Brucke abroad, Holmberg went to Prague to have sex with minors. As North Dakota’s Senate Appropriations Chair, Holmberg approved state reimbursement of $126,000 of his own travel expenses to the Czech Republic.
A grand jury federally indicted Holmberg in October 2023. While out on pretrial release, prosecutors say Holmberg went to his sister’s West Fargo home and the adult store Romantix in Fargo without permission. They say he also was on social media which was against the terms of his release. He looked at YouTube videos with titles including “twinks” and “sugar daddy” On November 1, 2024, Judge Daniel Hovland revoked Holmberg’s release and he was sent to the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minnesota. He spent 145 days there.
Statement from North Dakota Legislative Leaders
