⏱ 2 min read
Eli Poorman, a 20-year-old from Rapid City, South Dakota, was caught in a sting operation during the 2024 Sturgis Bike Rally. On August 3, 2024, Poorman used his Reddit account to chat with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover police officer. He arranged to meet the girl at his apartment for sex in exchange for money, but was arrested by law enforcement officers instead.
Poorman had been communicating with minor girls on the internet for six months, sending them explicit photographs of himself and seeking sexually explicit photos in return. He pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography on January 5, 2026, and was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Poorman was also ordered to pay $95 in restitution and $100 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Poorman’s sentencing serves as a warning to those who would exploit and harm children. The DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood initiative has been working to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children since its launch in 2006.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: South Dakota
- Location: SD
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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