A Watertown, South Dakota man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after being convicted of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse of a minor. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Gokoh Frank Brown, age 29, received the prison sentence along with 20 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Upon release from prison, Brown will be required to register as a sex offender.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024 and found guilty by a jury on May 21, 2025. According to authorities, between January and August 2023—when Brown was 27—he repeatedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old household member while living on the Lake Traverse Reservation.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Law Enforcement, and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons explained that “this matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.”
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about this program is available at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Following sentencing, Brown was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
