This past summer, KELOLAND News was invited to go undercover with the DCI in a sex trafficking sting.
It was carried out at one of the state’s most popular and biggest attractions. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Out here it’s biker heaven. They come from all over in world for a little riding and lots of fun.
But every year law enforcement say the rally also attracts people looking to prey on young children who are being sex trafficked.
“We want people to not engage in this kind of conduct, we want people to know if you’re coming to South Dakota to enjoy the beautiful Black Hills for the rally don’t hurt our children,” Attorney General Marty Jackley said.
To send a strong message to those looking to engage in some sort of nefarious activity, the DCI invited KELOLAND News to follow along and go behind closed doors for an undercover sting operation.
“I think the word is getting out to certain populations, but others who are looking to meet up with juveniles are not hearing this,” Alternate ICAC Commander Brian Freeouf said.
That’s why they gave our cameras exclusive access as agents logged on to computers and created profiles pretending to be 12 and 13 year old girls and boys who start conversations on dating web sites.
“Sometimes the investigations can go quickly other times it could be 2 or 3 days of communications before the conversation becomes sexual in nature and a meeting is arranged between the undercover and the potential suspect,” ICAC Commander Toby Russell said.
