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Date: 02-07-2023
Case Style:
United States of America v. Stephen Fontenot
Case Number: 5:21-cr-50137
Judge: Jeffrey L. Viken
Court: United States District Court for the District of South Dakota (Pennington County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Rapid City
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Rapid City, South Dakota criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted enticement of a minor using the Internet, and attempted receipt of child pornography.
Stephen Fontenot, Jr., age 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2021. He was found guilty at trial on November 3, 2022.
Fontenot was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple sexually explicit chats and text messages with a person Fontenot believed to be a 12-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Fontenot proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Fontenot went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Homeland Security Investigations, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Fontenot was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
18 U.S.C. §§ 2251 (a) and (e) ATTEMPTED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(1s)
18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) ATTEMPTED ENTICEMENT OF A MINOR USING THE INTERNET
(2s)
18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) ENTICEMENT OF A MINOR USING THE INTERNET
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 210 months custody to run concurrent to the sentences imposed on Count 2s and Count 3s; followed by 5 years supervised release; $100 VAF.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: