Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A federal jury in Rapid City has found Brandon Bishop, 38, guilty of attempted enticement of a minor. The verdict was delivered on September 23, 2025, after a two-day trial in federal district court.
According to U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell’s office, Bishop faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. He may also be fined up to $250,000, face at least five years of supervised release, and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be imposed.
Bishop was arrested and indicted in August 2024 as part of an annual undercover operation targeting internet predators during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota. Over five days, he communicated via MeetMe and text messages with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl; the individual was actually an undercover Rapid City Police Detective working with the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Bishop requested explicit photos from the supposed minor and later described sex acts to her. He also offered alcohol, drugs, and money if she would meet him.
On August 6, 2024, Bishop arrived by bicycle at a gas station to meet the person but was confronted by law enforcement officers. He fled on foot and discarded his phone in a storm drain; investigators later recovered it and found evidence supporting the charges. Bishop claimed afterward that he thought he had been communicating with an adult.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation involved the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Rapid City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation has been ordered for Bishop, who will remain in custody until sentencing on January 12, 2026.
