United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.
John Cody Klingman, age 29, was charged on Sept. 17, 2020. Klingman appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on Sept. 23, 2020, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 5 up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Klingman receiving and possessing child pornography between October 2014 and October 2019. The charges are merely an accusation and Klingman is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Klingman was released on conditions. A trial date has been set for Dec. 1, 2020.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
