Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Attempting to Entice a Minor Using the Internet

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Japher Rajab, 42, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet following a three-day federal jury trial held in U.S. District Court in Rapid City.  The guilty verdict was returned on December 11, 2019.

Rajab was one of eleven men who were arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators.  Following multiple chats and text messages with a person Rajab believed to be a 15 year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, he proceeded to negotiate the time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts.  When Rajab went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.

The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted and tried the case.

A sentencing date has not been set.  Rajab was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.