Sturgis Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charge

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sturgis, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Possession of Child Pornography was sentenced on April 17, 2020, by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court Judge.

Sean Gertsch, age 28, was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The conviction stemmed from an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. 

The investigation was conducted by 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 the case.

Gertsch was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.