Parker Behrns, a 27-year-old resident of Rapid City, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 24 to eight years and one month in federal prison after being convicted of receipt of child pornography. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Ron Parsons.
Behrns will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. He was ordered to pay $6,095 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Additionally, forfeiture was ordered as part of the sentence. Behrns had been indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 and pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026.
According to court documents, between September 2022 and July 2024, Behrns used his cellular phone and the internet-based application Discord to search for and receive images and video files containing sexually explicit visual depictions of minors. In some instances, he posed as a minor female to request child pornography from other Discord users.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims.
The investigation involved the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case. Following sentencing, Behrns was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for its district, handles criminal prosecutions and civil cases, covers all regions within South Dakota, supports initiatives that improve public safety, advances community safety, operates as a federal prosecutorial office, and enforces federal laws throughout its jurisdiction according to the official website.