Related Federal Cases
Iowa Man Sentenced for Commercial Sex Trafficking
A Hull, Iowa man has been sentenced to 10 years in custody for his role in a commercial sex trafficking ring that targeted minors, according to a recent press release from the federal government.
Ronald Bonestroo, 59, was convicted by a federal jury on November 8, 2011, on charges related to commercial sex trafficking. The conviction stems from an incident on February 10, 2011, when Bonestroo replied to an online advertisement posted by undercover police officers.
What he believed would be two 14-year-old girls in Sioux Falls were in fact undercover police officers. Bonestroo arranged to pay for sex with the minors and was subsequently arrested after arriving at the undercover location.
Bonestroo was initially released from custody on January 4, 2012, after U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier issued an Order Granting Defendant’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal. However, the Government appealed that decision to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ultimately reversed the U.S. District Court’s Judgment of Acquittal and reinstated Bonestroo’s conviction on January 7, 2013.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case, while the investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Police Department.
Bonestroo was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal and was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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