Jury Convicts 75-Year-Old Rollie Bruvold of Child Rape in Sandoval County

A 13th Judicial District Court jury found Rollie Bruvold, 75, guilty on four counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13 for rapes committed during family camping trips in the Jemez area of Sandoval County between 1985 and 1995. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced the verdict and called Bruvold "a dangerous, calculating predator who spent years hunting for opportunities to abuse children."

The victims were between 3 and 14 years old when Bruvold targeted them during what prosecutors described as two separate camping trips in Sandoval County. According to the criminal complaint, when investigators interviewed Bruvold, he told them he thought it was natural for daughters to want to "be lovers to their fathers."

Bruvold faces up to 72 years in prison for the four convictions. He will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

The verdict marks the latest chapter in a legal history stretching back more than two decades. In 2002, Bruvold was sentenced to 108 years in prison for crimes related to the sexual abuse of multiple children. In February 2020, the New Mexico Court of Appeals overturned all but one of those convictions, reducing his sentence to 18 years. Torrez, then serving as Bernalillo County District Attorney, responded to that ruling by joining forces with the Office of the Attorney General to indict Bruvold on the additional charges that produced this week's verdict. Bruvold has remained in custody since 2002.

"Our office will always stand with survivors, and we will not stop until those who exploit the most vulnerable face the full weight of the law," Torrez said. "Today's guilty verdict is a crucial step toward justice, and I am committed to ensuring he remains behind bars for as long as the law allows.