Two Winner Residents Charged with Sex Trafficking of Children and Production of Child Pornography

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a man and woman from Winner, South Dakota, with two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child. The man was also indicted for two counts of Production of Child Pornography.

Richard Alan Kucera, age 65, and Ivy Rose Heron, age 36, were indicted in August of 2023. Kucera appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 10, 2023, and Heron appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 4, 2023. Both pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that in 2020 and 2021, Kucera and Heron intentionally recruited and enticed two juvenile females to engage in commercial sex acts. Both Kucera and Heron financially benefited from their participation in the illegal venture.

The Indictment also alleges that Kucera persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the same two minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.

The charges are merely accusations and Kucera and Heron are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Kucera was released on bond pending trial. Heron was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for October 3, 2023.