Custer Man Gets 5 Years for Child Pornography

A former Custer, South Dakota, teacher has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

Nathan Frisch, a 43-year-old man from Custer, was sentenced by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange on April 25, 2024, for his crimes. Frisch, a former teacher in both Custer and Rapid City, was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution, a $5,000 special assessment to the Victims of Trafficking Fund, a $5,000 special assessment to the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Fund, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Frisch was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography on January 17, 2024. The defendant admitted to knowingly downloading child pornography from the internet using his cell phone and laptop between September 4, 2022, and December 30, 2022.

In a disturbing twist, Frisch also admitted to using the “Reface” application to transpose the faces of female minors onto sexually explicit depictions of adult women, according to court documents. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, and it marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Frisch was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, ending his freedom and starting his five-year sentence. The people of South Dakota and the nation can rest a little easier knowing this predator is behind bars.

Frisch’s crimes are a stark reminder of the dangers of child exploitation and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable. As a community, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent these heinous crimes and support victims and their families.

The sentencing of Nathan Frisch serves as a warning to those who would engage in similar crimes: the Department of Justice and its partners will not hesitate to pursue justice and hold you accountable.