The state of Minnesota would like to put up a wall along our border with the Dakotas. Or, at least, we’d like you to know we don’t have anything to do with them. I don’t know, I kind of cringed away to the east learning about this story.

Prosecutors said Holmberg traveled at least 14 times from 2011 to 2021 to Prague, Czech Republic, to pay for sex with adolescent-age boys. In court last year, Holmberg admitted to paying young male masseuses, some of whom he had sexual contact with at an alleged brothel. But he claimed not to know for certain how old they were.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl said the crime was “an assault of the dignity of many young boys.” And the majority and minority leaders in the North Dakota Legislature described Holmberg’s crimes as “evil” in a statement that vowed additional resources to law enforcement to help combat increases in criminal sexual assaults and human trafficking, KFGO reported.

Not just the Czech Republic: he was a roaming predator, criss-crossing the country and traveling abroad to abuse boys.

Records previously obtained by The Associated Press show that Holmberg made dozens of trips throughout the U.S. and to other countries since 1999. Destinations included cities in more than 30 states as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and Norway. At least one of Holmberg’s trips to Prague was state-funded through a teacher exchange program, the Klemetsrud Puhl wrote in court filings last week.

“Holmberg’s offending conduct over the course of decades … can only be described as corruption,” she wrote. “That is, he used his position to serve his own ends.”

His position is what makes this even worse: he has a long history as a distinguished state senator in the North Dakota senate.

Holmberg served 45 years in the North Dakota Senate. He resigned in 2022 after The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reported on his many text messages with a man in jail in connection with child sexual abuse material. Holmberg chaired two powerful legislative panels, including the Senate’s budget-writing committee.

Because he’s wealthy and privileged and a Republican, and also 81 years old (he’s been playing this vile game for a long time), lawyers tried to argue that he should only get a 3 year sentence. The judge would have none of it, and he’s going away for ten years. That’s still not enough, given this one final twist:

In 2012 and 2013, Holmberg posed as a teenage boy in an online chatroom for teens who had undergone circumcision, and misled and manipulated a 16-year-old Canadian boy into sending him explicit photos, the filing said.

The full story of the relationship is unclear because the boy later took his own life in 2021, “but no doubt Holmberg’s conduct contributed to his struggles,” Klemetsrud Puhl said.

Yeah, he can die in prison. No loss.

Would you believe he was reimbursed by the North Dakota senate for his sex vacations? He was. He led the senate and personally approved all of his expenses.