A 22-year-old man from McLaughlin, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for Abusive Sexual Contact. Malachi Adam Marcus Howard was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on September 8, 2025.
According to the U.S. Attorney\’s Office, Howard pleaded guilty to the charges on June 16, 2025, after being indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between November 1, 2023, and March 19, 2024, when Howard caused a 10-year-old child to engage in sexual activity.
The incident took place in Corson County, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute that authorizes certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court.
As part of his sentence, Howard will serve 15 years in federal prison, followed by ten years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood is a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The project marshals federal, state, and local resources to identify and rescue victims of child sexual exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Valley City (ND) Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuting the case. Howard was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies involved in the case are committed to protecting children from exploitation and abuse.
The sentencing of Malachi Adam Marcus Howard serves as a reminder of the severe consequences for those who commit crimes against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners will continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute cases of child exploitation and abuse, and to bring perpetrators to justice.
RELATED: McLaughlin Predator Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Sex Abuse
Related Federal Cases
- Mobridge Man Justin Jerome Howard Charged in Sex Offender Registration Case · South Dakota
- Malik, Issa Plead Guilty · Iowa
- Malik, Issa Sentenced · Iowa
- Jesse Ausbin Brown Gets 20 Years for Child Porn · Florida
- Belt Sentenced for Enticement · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes