Ricky Wayne Hettich, Jr., a 26-year-old man from McLaughlin, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 20 to 15 years in federal prison after being convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann handed down the sentence in Aberdeen, according to United States Attorney Ron Parsons.
Hettich will also serve five years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026.
According to court documents, around Christmas 2024 Hettich picked up a 15-year-old girl against her will at his father’s home within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. He laid her down on his bed, removed both their clothes, and had sexual intercourse with her despite her attempts to escape. The incident resulted in pregnancy. Investigators also learned that Hettich had engaged in sexual intercourse with the girl on an earlier occasion.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem handled prosecution duties.
Hettich has been remanded into custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota is responsible for enforcing federal laws across its district and advancing community safety through handling criminal prosecutions and civil cases as well as supporting public safety initiatives and quality of life improvements throughout South Dakota, according to the official website.