SEPTEMBER 2024: United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal judge has sentenced a Huron, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on September 30, 2024. Kyle Dean Bult, age 38, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Once released, Bult must register as a sex offender. Bult was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 1, 2024. The conviction stemmed from incidents between March 9, 2024, and March 10, 2024, when Bult accessed the media application Taimi, via his cellular phone, and initiated a text conversation with a 15-year-old female. During the conversation, Bult sent several messages to her asking questions, including her age. Bult also sent several messages that were sexual in nature, including asking for a meeting for a sexual encounter. Unbeknownst to Bult, an undercover agent was posing as the 15-year-old female. Bult drove to a meeting place and was arrested. This is Bult’s third criminal conviction for a sexual offense involving a minor victim. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Bult was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.   AUGUST 2024: U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on August 12, 2024. Southy Thepmontry, age 69, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Thepmontry also forfeited the cell phone used to commit the crime and must register as a sex offender once he is released from federal prison. Thepmontry was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024. The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 21, 2024, when Thepmontry used his cell phone to attempt to coerce an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female to engage in sexual activity. His conversation occurred on Facebook over the course of ten days. Thepmontry offered to pay the 15-year-old girl money in exchange for sex and was arrested at the meeting location where he possessed his cell phone and cash he withdrew from an ATM on his way. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by HSI and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. Thepmontry was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.   APRIL 2024: United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a joint online sex crimes operation, which ran from March 7-12, 2024, has concluded with the arrest of 11 individuals from Sioux Falls. The persons arrested and federally charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet are: Kyle Dean Bult, age 38; Kalvin Michael Frankus, age 37; Hunter Hill, age 22; Stacy Shannon Hoover, age 56; Ryan Nigro, age 32; Jorge Manual Rodriguez-Marroquin, age 47; Dylan Ryan, age 24; Gerber David Santos Gonzalez, age 25; William Danery Sebastian, age 33; Southy Thepmontry, age 69; and Carter Lee Tyree, age 20. The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction is 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine. The charges are merely accusations, and all Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The operation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “This operation demonstrates the unsettling reality that here in our own communities, there are individuals using the Internet to target young girls and boys for sex,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell. “We are grateful to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who regularly collaborate to safeguard children across South Dakota. May it serve as a stark reminder to parents, guardians, and caretakers that the Internet can be a very dangerous place for children, particularly when their activity is left unmonitored.” “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents work tirelessly to protect children from exploitation,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “This successful online sex crimes operation shows the threat child predators pose in our communities and the importance of working hand-in-hand with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to bring individuals and networks who prey on vulnerable populations to justice.” The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Clapper and Elizabeth A. Ebert. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.