A Sioux Falls man has been sentenced to federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Ron Parsons. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange of the U.S. District Court handed down the sentence on January 20, 2026.
Louis Leroy Butcher, age 58, received a sentence of one year and six months in federal prison. After his release, he will be subject to five years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Butcher was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 on charges of failing to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025.
According to court records, Butcher had previously been convicted of a federal sex offense and was required by law to register as a sex offender and keep his registration current with local authorities. Despite being aware of this obligation, he knowingly failed to update his registration from late July through August 2025.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson.
Butcher has been remanded into custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children online and identify victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
