A man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on August 4, 2025.
Dion Michael Brown, 55, received the prison term along with five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and must register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023 and pleaded guilty on April 21, 2025. According to court documents, between May 1, 2020, and October 2, 2022, Brown engaged in a sexual relationship with a victim who was between the ages of 13 and 15 while living in Eagle Butte within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. During this time period, Brown was between the ages of 50 and 52.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case under the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes that occur in Indian Country to be handled in federal court rather than state court.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and assist victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation involved both the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen led the prosecution.
Brown was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
