Sturgis Rally sex sting shows local predators active during bike week

STURGIS, S.D. (KELO) — An estimated 400,000 people traveled to the Black Hills for the 2024 Sturgis Rally, which ended on Sunday. KELOLAND News examined the rally sting operations over the past several years, and what we found was a bit surprising.

While some of the sexual predators caught trying to meet underage victims are from out of state, the vast majority of those arrested are local.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, take a look at these numbers: In 2020, eight men were arrested for sex trafficking, six from South Dakota. In 2021, nine men were arrested, eight from South Dakota. In 2022, six were arrested, all six from South Dakota. In 2023, five were arrested, all five from South Dakota. And this year, seven people were arrested, all of them from South Dakota.

The ICAC or Internet Crimes Against Children team, made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement, puts out ads, which basically say young children are for sale.

“And we wait and see what traffic comes, responses to those ads, said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “And we make a determination whether this individual is a danger to children and then we correspond with them, and we make an appropriate arrest when the communication reaches that level that is is apparent that there will be injury or damage to a child.”

35 sexual predators off the streets in the last five years shows how effective these sting operations can be. 32 of those arrested have a South Dakota address. Jackley says the fact that most of the suspects are local, concerns him but doesn’t surprise him.

“Which means, again there is a need for these ICAC operations to continue and you should see more of them in the local area,” said Jackley.

Jackley will work with lawmakers to ensure funding is available for more operations to protect kids outside of big events like Sturgis. They know that the more arrests they make, the more children they protect. The South Dakota task force, formed in 2004, is one of 61 Internet Crimes Against Children programs nationwide.

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