RAPID CITY – A 58-year-old Oglala man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in sex trafficking minors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Gordon Weston, 58, of Oglala, South Dakota, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release on each count of conviction, and ordered to pay a total of $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for the three convictions.
The prison sentences and periods of supervision shall be served concurrently, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Weston was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Weston was found guilty of one count of Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and two counts of Commercial Sex Trafficking following a federal jury trial in Rapid City in January of 2024. He was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in September of 2021.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Weston met the victim, a vulnerable child who had been removed from her household due to neglect, violence, and drug and alcohol abuse, while working as the Activities Coordinator at the Emergency Youth Shelter in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, from 2009 to 2021.
After the victim was released from the shelter, Weston contacted her through social media and solicited her for sexual intercourse in exchange for money. He engaged in two acts of Commercial Sex Trafficking on two separate occasions, and through the investigation, it was revealed that Weston had victimized at least one other female.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. The case was investigated by the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Jeff Clapper prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Pine Ridge Predator Jailed 15 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors · South Dakota
- Sylanus Flute Charged with Child Sexual Abuse in South Dakota · South Dakota
- Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Sex Trafficking by Force · South Dakota
- South Dakota Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Distribution · Utah
- Maryland Man Sentenced for Attempted Sex Trafficking · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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