Lloyd Emerson Elk, Sex Abuse of Minor, South Dakota 2024

RAPID CITY, South Dakota – Former tribal law enforcement officer Lloyd Emerson Elk, 48, has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for his heinous crimes against two young girls.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Elk was convicted of four counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, one count of Abusive Sexual Contact, and one count of Witness Tampering. The sentencing took place on October 17, 2024.

Lloyd Emerson Elk, a former tribal law enforcement officer, was found guilty following a two-day jury trial in July of 2024. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024.

The victims, who were between the ages of five and seven years old, were subjected to years of domestic violence and physical and emotional abuse by Elk. He also threatened to kill them and their family members if they ever told anyone about the abuse.

“Every instance of child sexual abuse is simultaneously shocking and heartbreaking,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “But it is unthinkable that such victimization would happen at the hands of a law enforcement officer. It took great courage for the victims in this case to come forward with the truth, and we are grateful to our partners at the FBI who expertly investigated the matter so that our prosecutors could bring this violent defendant to justice, once and for all.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never yield in our steadfast commitment to protecting women and children from violence.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Lindrooth and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Elk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case was investigated by the FBI.

Lloyd Emerson Elk was sentenced to a total of 50 years in federal prison on each count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $600 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was also sentenced to five years in prison for Abusive Sexual Contact and 25 years in prison on the Witness Tampering conviction. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

Lloyd Emerson Elk, a former tribal law enforcement officer, sexually abused his stepdaughter multiple times when she was between the ages of five and seven years old. Elk employed years of domestic violence to control the victim and her family, including physical and emotional abuse.

In a shocking revelation, Elk told the victim if she ever told anyone about the sexual abuse, that he would kill her, her mother, and her brother. When the victim finally disclosed the abuse in late 2023, the investigation revealed Elk had sexually abused another seven-year-old girl in 1998—while employed as a police officer in Idaho—and made similar threats to her to keep her quiet.