Quapaw man convicted of sexual abuse, possession of eagle parts

May 20—TULSA, Okla. — A federal court jury has found a Quapaw man guilty of sexually abusing an American Indian girl and illegally possessing the feathers, heads and talons of bald eagles and golden eagles.

Deliberating for a little less than two hours Tuesday at the conclusion of a trial in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, jurors convicted Carl G. Ortner Jr., 57, on all five counts he was facing for sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country, abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity, possession of parts of a bald eagle and possession of parts of a golden eagle.

After the verdicts, Judge John F. Heil III set Ortner's sentencing for Sept. 30.

Assistant U.S. attorneys Shannon Cozzoni and Ryan Roberts argued at trial that Ortner fraudulently claimed to be a Native American spiritual counselor though he had no verifiable tribal affiliation and had told various people that he was member of several tribes.

"Carl Ortner is not a Native American spiritual counselor as he led his community to believe," Clint Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, said in a post-trial news release. "A jury this week saw Ortner for what he was: a predator who targeted a vulnerable, young victim, using her Native American heritage and grief to sexually abuse her."

The prosecution presented evidence that Ortner used his false position of influence in the community and her cultural beliefs and youthful vulnerability to "groom" the victim and cajole her into sexual relations with him. He also converted her grief over the loss of a loved one into a sexual vulnerability, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

The sexual abuse that began in 2016 took place not only on Indian land in Oklahoma but also during a trip he took her on to Joplin, according to prosecutors.

The U.S. attorney's office maintains that Ortner's crimes went beyond the counts for which he was tried. Two women testified for the prosecution that he also sexually abused them as minors, grooming them in a similar manner, buying them lingerie and exploiting their loss of loved ones.

During closing arguments, Ryan referred to Ortner as "a wolf in sheep's clothing," posing as a caring Native American elder to move in close to his victims.

A special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service testified at trial that investigators found feathers and other parts of seven bald eagles and seven golden eagles, including heads, talons and entire wings, in the defendant's home.

Native Americans consider eagles sacred and use the parts in cultural and religious practices, but Ortner was in possession of them illegally, federal prosecutors said.

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