A South Dakota man will spend the next two decades behind bars for his heinous crimes against two young women.
Todd County resident Derek Sharpfish, 33, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact. The gruesome crimes took place between October 2020 and January 2023 within the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
Sharpfish’s heinous acts involved not one, but two victims. He engaged in multiple instances of sexual intercourse with a 13 to 15-year-old girl, exploiting her vulnerability and trust. The case also revealed that Sharpfish groped an adult woman while she slept, a brazen display of his complete disregard for boundaries and consent.
Sharpfish’s downfall began when he was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023. He pleaded guilty to the charges on January 2, 2024, marking the beginning of the end for the Todd County man.
The case was brought to light as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. By marshaling federal, state, and local resources, Project Safe Childhood aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case due to the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute that mandates the prosecution of violent crimes in Indian Country. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI collaborated on the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson leading the prosecution. Sharpfish was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following the sentencing.
The harsh sentence handed down to Sharpfish serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of his crimes and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable. As the community begins to heal, it’s clear that justice has been served, and that Derek Sharpfish will no longer pose a threat to the vulnerable women of Todd County.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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