Rapid City Man Arraigned on Federal Charges Following Arrest for Large Scale Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that the United States has brought federal charges against a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

Lewis Patterson III, age 39, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 30, 2024. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the Criminal Complaint.

If convicted of distributing child pornography, Patterson faces a mandatory minimum of five years up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up $250,000. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release. Restitution is mandatory. Patterson also faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of possessing child pornography.

The charges are merely accusations and Patterson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Law enforcement's initial investigation has established that since at least March of 2024, Patterson personally distributed hundreds of thousands of images and videos of children being sexually abused across multiple internet-based applications, platforms, and encrypted messaging services. Patterson also utilized artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency to profit from his child pornography distribution scheme.

"The frequency with which criminals target and sexually exploit children is terrifying," said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. "We are fortunate to have federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that regularly collaborate through the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce to expose this nefarious activity. The U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to prioritize the federal prosecution of anyone looking to use the Internet to exploit children."

In response to the arrest, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley stated, "Cooperation by law enforcement resulted in this successful investigation. As Attorney General, I will continue to use every tool available to protect children and hold accountable those harming children."

The investigation is being led by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, consisting of members of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff's office, partnered with Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox is prosecuting the case.

Patterson was detained following his arraignment and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A detention hearing is scheduled for November 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.