Sept. 2025:
A jury has convicted Brandon Bishop, age 38, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Attempted Enticement of a Minor following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City. The verdict was returned on September 23, 2025.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Bishop was arrested and federally indicted in August 2024 following the annual undercover operation targeting internet predators, which was conducted in western South Dakota during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Over the course of five days, Bishop engaged with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on MeetMe, an online “hookup” application, and via text messages. The minor was actually the undercover persona of a Rapid City Police Detective, assigned to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. When the minor declined to send him a naked photo of herself, which Bishop requested, Bishop asked her to have sex with him and described various sex acts to her. Bishop offered alcohol, drugs, and money to the minor if she would “chill” with him. On August 6, 2024, Bishop rode his bicycle to a nearby gas station to meet the minor but was instead confronted by law enforcement agents. Bishop fled on foot and threw his cellular phone into a storm drain. The phone was recovered, and evidence of Bishop’s crimes was located on it. Bishop later claimed he believed the person he was communicating with was an adult.
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 Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for January 12, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Aug. 2024:
RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Ellsworth AFB Office of Special Investigations, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department conducted a joint sex-trafficking operation during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally designed to apprehend persons attempting to arrange sexual encounters with underage children. The operation began on August 2, 2024, and continued through August 8, 2024.
As a result, the following seven men were arrested and charged:
- Brockton Dominquez, 26, Rapid City – Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
- Eli Poorman, 20, Rapid City – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
- Dustin Day, 20, Piedmont – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
- Vance Coats, 25, Box Elder – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
- Brandon Bishop, 36, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
- Corey Simon, 36, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
- Aaron Ray Williams, Jr., 23, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
“Once again, this operation demonstrates the sad reality that there are individuals in our communities who are using the Internet to target young girls for sex,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are grateful to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who regularly collaborate to safeguard children across South Dakota. Because of their work, the Rapid City community is a little safer this week.”
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor under the age of fourteen is 15 years up to 30 years in federal prison; and any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet is 10 years up to life in federal prison; and any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release.
The charges are merely accusations, and all seven defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox.
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