Garrett Waters, Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, South Dakota 2022

A disturbing case of child abuse has come to light in South Dakota as Garrett Waters, a 40-year-old man from Pine Ridge, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.

According to the court records, Waters was convicted of three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, a federal offense that carries severe penalties.

The crime took place between 2018 and 2020 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, where Waters sexually abused a female child under the age of 12.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Waters was found guilty of the charges following a jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, on September 3, 2021. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2021.

On April 1, 2022, Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court, sentenced Waters to 30 years in federal prison for each count, with the time to be served concurrently. This means that Waters will serve 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for each count.

In addition to the prison sentence, Waters was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Waters was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after being sentenced.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/pine-ridge-man-sentenced-30-years-federal-prison