The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed the child abuse and assault conviction of a man from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

The court said federal prosecutors proved that Frank Iron Hawk abused his daughter, who was less than three years old, in September 2006. The court rejected Iron Hawk's claim of insufficient evidence and a claim that a federal judge erred by admitted testimony about the victim's permanent injuries.

"The testimony from the medical professionals presented by the government provided a sufficient basis for the jury to conclude R.L.E.’s serious injuries were caused by Iron Hawk," the 8th Circuit said, referring to the victim by her initials, R.L.E.

Iron Hawk was sentenced in 2009 to 14 years and nine months in prison.

Get the Story:
Appeals court upholds Faith man's conviction on child abuse charges (The Rapid City Journal 7/22)

8th Circuit Decision:
US v. Frank Iron Hawk (July 22, 2010)