South Dakota man indicted for child pornography following HSI investigation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — An eastern South Dakota man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of receiving and distributing child pornography.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Madison (South Dakota) Police Department.

Jordan Charles Opdahl, 29, was indicted Nov. 9. He pleaded not guilty Nov. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy.

The indictment alleges that on or about Oct. 20, 2020, Opdahl knowingly received and distributed, and attempted to receive and distribute, child pornography.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 fine to be paid to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charge is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.

Opdahl was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not yet been set.

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. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 Special Agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

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