Beresford Man Sentenced to Over 33 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Beresford, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on March 10, 2025.

Theodore John Jungbauer, age 61, was sentenced to 33 years and four months in federal prison. When released, he will be on supervised release for life. He was also ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to several victims of the child pornography he possessed and distributed and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Once released from federal prison, Jungbauer will be required register as a sex offender.

Jungbauer was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 12, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from Jungbauer receiving and distributing child pornography over the dark web from December 13, 2021, through August 24, 2023. While living in South Dakota, Jungbauer’s illegal online activity came to the attention of law enforcement in Australia. Australian officials contacted Homeland Security Investigations when they discovered Jungbauer was trying to share his library of child pornography over the dark web. His library included 3,695 files (images and videos) of child sexual abuse materials.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

Jungbauer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.