William Left Hand Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact

Bullhead, South Dakota — William Left Hand, 31, was sentenced on December 12, 2016, to 24 months in federal prison for abusive sexual contact, a crime that shattered trust and crossed the line from social visit to sexual violation. U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann handed down the sentence, which includes five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The conviction traces back to the night of February 22, 2012, when Left Hand invited the victim to his mother’s house under the guise of playing dice and hanging out. She agreed. He picked her up. What started as casual turned sinister as the evening wore on, with Left Hand making increasingly aggressive advances that left the woman visibly uncomfortable.

At one point, Left Hand asked the victim if they were going to “hook up” that night. When she rebuffed him and made it clear they were only friends, he backed off—temporarily. The group continued drinking and socializing, but Left Hand never accepted the boundary she set. Later, despite knowing her position, he reached over and touched her breasts and genitalia without consent.

Federal prosecutors painted a picture of predation masked as friendship. Left Hand, they argued, ignored clear signals of refusal and exploited a moment of vulnerability. His actions weren’t a misunderstanding—they were a criminal violation of bodily autonomy, federal investigators said.

Left Hand was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 15, 2014. After years of legal maneuvering, he pleaded guilty on September 12, 2016. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case, calling it a textbook example of non-consensual contact under federal law. The FBI led the investigation, following through on a complaint that had simmered for years.

Following sentencing, Left Hand was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service. The case stands as a grim reminder: consent isn’t implied, and crossing that line carries federal consequences. In the hushed corners of Bullhead, where everyone knows everyone, some lines should never be crossed—and now, one man will spend two years paying for it behind bars.

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