Mobridge Man Indicted for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Mobridge, South Dakota, man  has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

Charles Evyn Russell, age 35, was indicted in October of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on October 28, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that between July of 2021 and April of 2022, in Mobridge, Russell knowingly distributed and possessed child pornography.

The charges are merely accusations and Russell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Mobridge Police Department, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case. 

Russell was released on bond pending trial. A trial date was set for January 3, 2022.