Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a South Dakota Minor

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Bellevue, Nebraska, man convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.

Sean Carlos Payne, 34, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Payne was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.  He pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025.

Payne was originally charged by Criminal Complaint on October 21, 2024, after the Meade County Sheriff’s Office received an emergent report of a missing 13-year-old female.  It was discovered that Payne groomed the girl for multiple weeks leading up to her disappearance using online applications including Teen Chat, Discord, and Snapchat.

During Payne’s communications with the child, Payne persuaded her to send him sexually explicit images of herself.  Payne repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim in South Dakota and took her across state lines to Wyoming.  There, Payne fled a traffic stop initiated by a law enforcement officer who was on the lookout for the missing child.  Payne led multiple state and local Wyoming law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit with the child in his vehicle before being captured. Payne told the victim he intended to take her to California.

Payne, who had been convicted of attempted enticement of a minor in Iowa in June 2024, was a convicted sex offender in violation of his felony probation and the national sex offender registry at the time he began communicating with the victim. 

“Thanks to swift, coordinated action by a team of dedicated law enforcement personnel, this is one horror story that ends with a multi-decade sentence for this egregious offender,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons.

"Payne's heinous crimes shattered a child's innocence and left them with unimaginable pain and trauma," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "Protecting our children is our greatest duty and privilege as law enforcement. Payne's sentence highlights our enduring commitment to that mission. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to secure justice for victims and let predators know they will face the full weight of the law."

“The protection of our youth is, and always will be, a top priority for the Meade County Sheriff’s Office.  I am proud of our team’s efforts and the partnerships that made it possible to bring this dangerous individual to justice and to reunite the juvenile with their family.  Our children will always come first.  I extend my sincere gratitude to everyone whose dedication led to the successful resolution of this case,” said Meade County Sheriff Pat West.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Meade County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Rawlins, Wyoming Police Department, and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

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