Brandon Bishop, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, South Dakota 2025

A Rapid City man has been found guilty of Attempted Enticement of a Minor, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Brandon Bishop, 38, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was convicted on September 23, 2025, following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The charge against Bishop stems from his involvement in an undercover operation targeting internet predators, which was conducted in western South Dakota during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August 2024. Over the course of five days, Bishop engaged with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on MeetMe, an online “hookup” application, and via text messages. The minor was actually the undercover persona of a Rapid City Police Detective, assigned to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Bishop requested that the minor send him a naked photo of herself, which she declined to do. He then asked her to have sex with him and described various sex acts to her. Bishop offered alcohol, drugs, and money to the minor if she would “chill” with him. On August 6, 2024, Bishop rode his bicycle to a nearby gas station to meet the minor but was instead confronted by law enforcement agents. Bishop fled on foot and threw his cellular phone into a storm drain. The phone was recovered, and evidence of Bishop’s crimes was located on it.

Bishop later claimed he believed the person he was communicating with was an adult. However, the evidence presented in court showed that he had knowingly attempted to entice a minor to engage in illicit activities.

The case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for January 12, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

This case is a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The successful prosecution of this case is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the investigators and prosecutors involved.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/rapid-city-man-found-guilty-attempted-enticement-minor-following-federal-jury-trial