Grimy Times Exclusive: A South Dakota man has been sentenced to federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. Christopher Lee Golden, 51, of Box Elder, South Dakota, was convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.
According to court records, Golden knowingly received and possessed sexually explicit images of minor females between June 2014 and September 2018. He was arrested in Rapid City in 2018 on a Colorado fugitive warrant for sexual exploitation of a child.
At the time of his arrest, Golden had five devices containing child pornography and multiple devices on which he had installed data shredding applications and other anonymizing software. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Meade County Sheriff’s Office, and members of the Black Hills Fugitive Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama prosecuted the case. Golden was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
On July 8, 2021, Judge Jeffrey L. Viken sentenced Golden to just over 8 years in federal prison, 10 years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Golden was sentenced to the same time and conditions for both charges, with the time to be served in federal prison and supervised release running concurrently.
Golden was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in October 2018. He was found guilty of the charges following a bench trial in Rapid City on January 19, 2021.
Golden’s case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of possessing and distributing child pornography. The South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and other law enforcement agencies continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who engage in these heinous crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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