Sioux Falls Man Indicted for Child Pornography Distribution

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: In a chilling revelation from the federal corridors of justice in South Dakota, Joshua Lynn Lugert, 37, of Sioux Falls has been hit with a triple charge for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and Transportation of Child Pornography. The allegations levelled against Lugert by the United States Attorney Ron Parsons are as dark as they come.

Lugert was officially indicted on September 1, 2020, and his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 8th saw him entering a plea of not guilty to the charges against him.

Should Lugert be found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and restitution orders that could amount to thousands more, with an additional $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. This isn’t just about punishment; it’s about accountability for the monstrous act of distributing child pornography.

The indictment paints a grim picture, detailing how Lugert, between December 1, 2018, and July 30, 2020, is accused of receiving, distributing, attempting to receive, and attempt to distribute child pornography across state lines. The digital trail leads back to March 12, 2019, when Lugert uploaded graphic images and videos depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct into a Google e-mail account.

This investigation has been a joint effort by multiple federal and local agencies, including Homeland Security, the Division of Criminal Investigation, Office of the Attorney General, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is leading the prosecution on this harrowing case.

Lugert remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service as his trial date looms, with no timeline set yet for when justice will be served. One thing’s certain: Lugert’s actions have brought him into the darkest corners of the criminal world, and South Dakota is now a witness to his fall from grace.

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