A Box Elder, South Dakota, man was sentenced on March 9 to 15 years in federal prison after being convicted of receipt of child pornography, according to United States Attorney Ron Parsons. U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler handed down the sentence.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement and the justice system to address crimes involving the exploitation of minors online. The sentence also includes 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment, $190 in restitution, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and an order of forfeiture.
David Derby, age 29, was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 and pleaded guilty on November 12, 2025. Between September 2024 and April 8, 2025, Derby used the internet-based application Kik along with his Motorola cellular phone and Samsung tablet computer to receive video files containing sexually explicit images of minors into his Kik account. Law enforcement officers found video files depicting child pornography in Derby’s account; one video showed a juvenile male being sexually assaulted.
The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Derby was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
