Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of Bryant Heideman, a 25-year-old man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, for abusive sexual contact. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on May 12, 2025.
Heideman received a two-year federal prison term followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, he is required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The case originated from an incident in November 2023 on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Heideman engaged in sexual contact with a 12-year-old victim after allowing her to stay at his home between November 13 and November 14, 2024.
Heideman was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024 and pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025. The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes in Indian Country to be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen leading the prosecution.
