John Steele, Receipt of Child Pornography and Assault, South Dakota 2026

RAPID CITY – A disturbing case of child exploitation has come to a close in Rapid City, South Dakota, with a 51-year-old man sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in the receipt of child pornography and assault.

John Steele, Jr., a resident of Manderson, South Dakota, was sentenced on January 26, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Steele was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and $125 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The case against Steele began in July 2024, when a federal grand jury indicted him on the charges. He pleaded guilty on October 30, 2025, and was subsequently sentenced.

The charges against Steele stem from a shocking incident that took place between 2012 and 2016, in which he hid his Samsung cellular phone in the bathroom of the home he shared with his girlfriend. Steele surreptitiously photographed a minor female as she exited the shower when the girl was approximately 13 years old.

In 2023, Steele assaulted the adult female by striking her with his hand at Manderson. The sexually explicit photos Steele took of the minor were discovered when Steele’s cellular phone was examined as part of the assault investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Steele was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, bringing a measure of closure to the victims and their families. The case serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences that await those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.

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