Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Crimes

SIOUX FALLS, SD – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, 38-year-old Shane Allan Nelson of Sioux Falls has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence on May 29, 2024, following Nelson’s conviction for Receipt of Child Pornography. As part of his sentence, Nelson will also serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Nelson, a resident of Sioux Falls, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 and pleaded guilty on February 13, 2024. The conviction stemmed from incidents between March 13, 2020, and March 18, 2020, during which Nelson received materials containing child pornography using his Apple iPhone.

According to court documents, Nelson directed a 16-year-old female in Delaware to send him nude photos of herself. This case was investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood – a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Nelson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of child exploitation and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota urges anyone with information about child exploitation to report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733.

This case is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in combating child exploitation and abuse.