Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A St. Francis man has been sentenced to federal prison for over five years following a conviction for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down the sentence to Clyde Chasing Hawk, also known as Clyde Clairmont, on January 13, 2025.
Chasing Hawk, aged 24, received a sentence of five years and three months in federal prison. This will be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and restitution amounting to $3,000.
The case began when Chasing Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He entered a guilty plea on October 15, 2024. Between April and November of 2023, he searched for and downloaded child pornography online, saving multiple images and videos to his Google and Yahoo accounts as well as other electronic devices.
Law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation into Chasing Hawk in June 2023 after receiving CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating his involvement with child pornography through his online accounts. A search warrant executed at his residence in November led to the seizure of several electronic devices containing illegal material. These devices will be forfeited to the United States.
This case 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 nationwide. The project coordinates resources from various levels of law enforcement to apprehend offenders and protect victims.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Missing and Murdered Unit, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Following sentencing, Chasing Hawk was immediately placed into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
