Jacob Neault, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, South Dakota 2018

A 26-year-old Ravinia man has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for violently shaking a two-month-old infant, causing catastrophic injuries including severe head trauma, brain damage, and eye hemorrhaging. Jacob Neault’s actions on April 24, 2018, left the child fighting for survival and marked one of the most disturbing cases of child abuse in South Dakota in recent years.

On April 30, 2019, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence, ordering Neault to serve 37 months behind bars, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Immediately after sentencing, Neault was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Neault was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 8, 2018, and ultimately pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on February 4, 2019. The charge, prosecuted in federal court, underscores the severity of the crime and the federal jurisdiction often invoked in cases involving violent crimes against Native American children on tribal lands.

The assault occurred when Neault, entrusted with caring for the infant, unlawfully shook the child with enough force to cause life-threatening internal injuries. Medical reports revealed the baby suffered multiple skull injuries, bleeding in the brain, and bilateral retinal hemorrhages — classic signs of shaken baby syndrome.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, peeling back the timeline of that night to expose the brutal truth behind the infant’s sudden collapse. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman, built a case that left no room for denial, culminating in Neault’s guilty plea.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons confirmed the sentencing, emphasizing that violent crimes against children will be met with the full weight of federal law. For Neault, the consequences are now locked in — prison time, supervision, and a permanent criminal record for a moment of rage that nearly cost an innocent child their life.

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