Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Four men from South Dakota have been arrested and federally charged following a multi-agency operation targeting child exploitation during the 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The operation involved several law enforcement agencies, including the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, Ellsworth AFB Office of Special Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the FBI.
“This sophisticated sting operation pulled together local, state, and federal law enforcement resources to take dangerous sexual predators off the streets and out of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are fortunate here in South Dakota to have officers, agents, and detectives who collaborate each and every day to protect children throughout the state. Now that the operation has safely concluded, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased to announce that four local men have been arrested and will be held to account in federal court.”
The four individuals arrested were identified as Elmer Hopper of Rapid City; Beau Remington of Black Hawk; Jayson “Javi” Gomez of Rapid City; and Joshua Michael Allen of Hermosa. All face charges related to attempted enticement of a minor using the internet. Remington also faces an additional charge for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
“All the individuals who were arrested in this operation are South Dakota residents,” said South Dakota ICAC Task Force Commander Toby Russell. “This is a sad statistic for our state, but it is a reminder why these operations and investigations are so important. The level of support, cooperation, and teamwork between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies during this operation is unique and does not happen elsewhere. This operation is truly a team effort. All the law enforcement personnel who participated in this operation and the members of the South Dakota ICAC Task Force work tirelessly every day to keep the children of South Dakota safe. They should all be commended for their tenacity and professionalism in how they pursue these offenders.”
If convicted on charges related to attempted enticement of a minor, defendants face mandatory minimum sentences ranging from 10 years up to life in federal prison as well as supervised release terms from five years up to life.
These prosecutions are part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts by federal, state, and local authorities (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox will prosecute these cases federally.
It was noted that charges against all four defendants are accusations at this stage; they remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
