Mescalero Man, 45, Held Without Bond After Federal Sexual Abuse Charges Filed

Allegedly... Deverne Torres, 45, was booked on Sept. 18, 2025, on a felony count listed in jail records as "all other offenses," with the arrest location given as 1292 Mescalero. No bond was set. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico announced that Deverne Torres Jr., an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, was charged in federal court with aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and committing a crime within Indian country following an FBI investigation. Prosecutors alleged that Torres engaged in repeated sexual acts with a minor between December 2019 and February 2021. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Torres later pleaded guilty in federal court to sexual abuse of a minor in March 2026, admitting to multiple acts against a teenage girl. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison and mandatory sex offender registration at sentencing. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has asked anyone with information about additional potential victims to contact investigators. All charges are allegations; Torres is presumed innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise.