Four men from South Dakota have been arrested and federally charged following a coordinated child exploitation operation during the 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The joint effort involved multiple agencies, including the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, Ellsworth AFB Office of Special Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the FBI.
“This sophisticated sting operation pulled together local, state, and federal law enforcement resources to take dangerous sexual predators off the streets and out of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are fortunate here in South Dakota to have officers, agents, and detectives who collaborate each and every day to protect children throughout the state. Now that the operation has safely concluded, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased to announce that four local men have been arrested and will be held to account in federal court.”
The operation led to charges against Elmer Hopper of Rapid City for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet; Beau Remington of Black Hawk for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; Jayson “Javi” Gomez of Rapid City for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet; and Joshua Michael Allen of Hermosa for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
“All the individuals who were arrested in this operation are South Dakota residents,” said South Dakota ICAC Task Force Commander Toby Russell. “This is a sad statistic for our state, but it is a reminder why these operations and investigations are so important. The level of support, cooperation, and teamwork between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies during this operation is unique and does not happen elsewhere. This operation is truly a team effort. All the law enforcement personnel who participated in this operation and the members of the South Dakota ICAC Task Force work tirelessly every day to keep the children of South Dakota safe. They should all be commended for their tenacity and professionalism in how they pursue these offenders.”
Federal law mandates that anyone convicted on charges such as Attempted Enticement of a Minor faces at least 10 years up to life in prison as well as supervised release ranging from five years up to life.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 that focuses on combating child sexual exploitation by using resources across different levels of government agencies (more information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc).
The accused remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
