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November 2, 2021Rapid City, SD, United StatesChild Exploitation

Joint law enforcement sex trafficking operation leads to federal prison sentence for South Dakota man

RAPID CITY, S.D. – A western South Dakota man was sentenced Oct. 25 to two years in prison for attempting to acquire child pornography.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Brennan John Hauk, 42, was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting online predators.

Following multiple online communications with a person Hauk believed to be a 15-year-old boy, but who was in fact an undercover agent, he proceeded to request nude photographs and negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Hauk went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead placed under arrest.

In addition to his prison term, Hauk was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund. Hauk will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and serve five years of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.

HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move.

Learn more about HSI’s child exploitation mission.

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