Caleb Cook, Child Pornography, South Dakota 2022

Caleb Cook’s Sick Obsession Caught Up with Him

A 23-year-old Summerset man has been accused of receiving and possessing child pornography, according to a recent indictment.

Caleb Cook, a resident of Summerset, South Dakota, was federally indicted on March 17, 2022, following a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.

The indictment alleges that Cook received and possessed child pornography between September 2016 and December 2021 in Summerset, South Dakota. The charges against him include Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

Cook appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on April 13, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of five up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum of five years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The investigation is a joint effort between the Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce, Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case. Cook was detained pending trial, with a trial date set for June 21, 2022.

As this case continues to unfold, the community is left wondering how such crimes can occur. The charges against Cook are merely an accusation, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, we urge anyone with information about this case to come forward and cooperate with the authorities.

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