Rapid City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Child Exploitation
RAPID CITY – A Rapid City man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor using the internet. Elmer Hopper, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler on June 15, 2026.
Hopper was convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, a charge brought against him in August 2025. He pleaded guilty to the charge on March 30, 2026.
During the 2025 Sturgis Bike Rally, Hopper initiated communications on the internet-based application Plenty Of Fish with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. The girl, in fact, was a Rapid City Police Detective operating in an undercover capacity on Plenty Of Fish.
Hopper and the undercover persona started communicating through texting. Hopper told her that he wanted someone to lay in bed with him. Later, Hopper explained that he meant that he wanted someone to have sex with, not lay in bed with.
Hopper and the undercover persona agreed to meet at West Middle School in Rapid City. When Hopper arrived at the school, he was arrested.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Hopper was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $95 in restitution and $100 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture was also ordered.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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